Mining Pool Strategies: Solo vs PPS vs PPLNS

Compare different mining pool payout methods and choose the best one for your setup.

Mining pools combine hashrate from many miners and split rewards. The payout method matters:

PPS (Pay Per Share) — fixed payout per share. Stable but lower returns.
PPLNS (Pay Per Last N Shares) — higher returns but variable. Rewards loyalty.
Solo — you keep 100% of the block reward if you find one, but variance is huge.

Most small miners prefer PPLNS for better long-term returns.