MinePRL vs PearlHash — the 2026 fee showdown (4.4% vs 10%)

Of all the PEARL pool match-ups, MinePRL vs PearlHash still has the widest fee spread on the network — 4.4% vs 10%. The other classic gap, minimum payout, just closed: PearlHash lowered its minimum from ~100 PRL to ~1 PRL in May 2026. So this match-up is now decided almost entirely by the fee. Head-to-head with live data, no spin.

The 30-second answer

For the large majority of miners — including anyone on a rented GPU — MinePRL is the friendlier economics: a 4.4% fee (less than half of PearlHash's 10%) and no minimum payout. PearlHash is now small-miner-accessible too — its ~1 PRL minimum means even short sessions get paid — you just keep less of every block because of the 10% fee. Pick PearlHash mainly if it's clearly out-producing blocks the week you mine.

Fee: 4.4% vs 10%

This is the real gap, not a rounding difference. PearlHash's 10% fee is more than double MinePRL's 4.4%. On the same gross earnings you keep noticeably more on MinePRL. Fees can change — the live figures are in the visual above and on /pools — but as of 2026 this is the single biggest fee spread between two active PEARL pools, and with the minimum-payout gap now closed it's the number that decides this match-up.

Minimum payout: the gap just closed

This used to be the decider — and it no longer is. MinePRL has no minimum: balances settle per epoch regardless of size. PearlHash dropped its minimum from ~100 PRL to ~1 PRL in May 2026, auto-distributed each epoch once you cross the (now tiny) threshold. Consequences:

• Renting an H100 by the hour / short sessions: previously PearlHash's ~100 PRL floor could mean you stopped the pod before a first payout ever landed — that risk is gone. At ~1 PRL a short session clears the threshold easily, the same practical outcome as MinePRL's no-minimum. Both get you paid; MinePRL just takes a smaller cut.
• Any miner: with the minimum no longer a barrier on either side, the decision falls back almost entirely to the fee gap — which favors MinePRL (4.4% vs 10%).

Payout scheme

MinePRL runs PPLNS (payouts from real blocks the pool finds, weighted by recent shares). PearlHash uses an epoch-based auto payout above its minimum. Neither is "better" in the abstract — PPLNS shares block-luck variance; epoch-based is a fixed settlement cadence. With the minimum gap closed, the fee dominates this match-up far more than the scheme or the (now negligible) minimums.

Transparency note

PearlHash's public API exposes hashrate and worker/account counts but not a 24h block count, so on /pools we count PearlHash's blocks independently on-chain from coinbase attribution to its pool wallet. MinePRL publishes its own 24h figure, which we cross-check on-chain. Either way, verify a pool is actually producing blocks before committing GPU hours — that live, verified number is on /pools.

So which wins?

• Rented / small / short-session miner → MinePRL on economics (4.4% vs 10%). Both now pay out at a tiny/zero minimum, so it comes down to who takes less — MinePRL.
• Block production matters more to you than fee → check live 24h blocks on /pools. If PearlHash is meaningfully out-producing MinePRL that week, its higher fee can be offset by more frequent finds. That's the main case for PearlHash now.

For the full picture across all four pools, see the neutral PEARL mining pool comparison and MinePRL vs Akoya.

You still need an H100 either way

Both pools require an NVIDIA H100/H200. Don't own one? Rent: RunPod (free signup credit covers a full test) or Vast.ai for the lowest price at scale. Start free: mine PEARL free with RunPod credit · setup: how to mine PEARL on RunPod.

Bottom line

MinePRL wins this match-up on economics for almost everyone: less than half the fee (4.4% vs 10%) and no payout minimum. PearlHash's old downside — a steep ~100 PRL minimum — is gone (now ~1 PRL), so it's no longer a "large miners only" pool; it's simply the pricier option on fee. Pick it only if it's clearly out-producing blocks the week you mine. Confirm live hashrate and on-chain-verified 24h blocks on /pools before you commit.