Can I mine to two pools at once with XMRig?
Yes, you can mine to two pools at once with XMRig, but you need to run two separate XMRig instances and divide your CPU resources between them. Adding two pools to one XMRig configuration normally sets up a backup connection, not simultaneous mining.
Two pool entries do not split your work
XMRig is a mining program that runs on your computer. A mining pool combines your mining work with other miners’ work and pays you according to its payout rules.
In a standard XMRig setup, a list of pools is a failover list. That means one pool is active, while another is available if the active pool becomes unreachable.
So, putting Pool A and Pool B in the same configuration does not mean:
- Half your mining work goes to each pool.
- Both pools receive work at the same time.
- Your earnings automatically get divided between them.
If you only want protection against a pool going offline, one instance with a backup pool is usually the simpler choice.
How to run two pools simultaneously
For actual simultaneous mining, launch XMRig twice. Give each instance its own pool address and a limited number of mining threads. A thread is a stream of work your CPU handles.
For example, these commands illustrate two instances with four threads each:
xmrig -o POOL_A:PORT -u YOUR_XMR_ADDRESS -t 4
xmrig -o POOL_B:PORT -u YOUR_XMR_ADDRESS -t 4
Replace the placeholders with each pool’s connection details and your Monero wallet address. Follow each pool’s instructions for encryption, passwords, or other required settings.
Four threads per instance is just an example, not a recommendation for every computer. You can also use two separate configuration files, which makes the settings easier to manage.
A few practical checks help:
- Do not let both instances automatically claim all your CPU resources.
- If you enable XMRig’s local monitoring server, give each instance a different port.
- For better control, use CPU affinity, which assigns each instance’s threads to chosen CPU cores.
Check both pools’ dashboards to confirm they are receiving your work.
Expect shared resources, not doubled earnings
Both instances compete for the same hardware. Splitting your computer between pools does not double its mining power, and the extra overhead can reduce your combined speed.
Monero’s mining algorithm, RandomX, favors CPUs and benefits from about 2 MB of L3 cache per mining thread. L3 cache is a small, fast memory area inside your CPU.
Memory use matters too. RandomX’s fast mode uses a dataset of about 2,080 MB. Separate XMRig processes generally allocate their own datasets, so running two can require substantially more memory than running one.
Watch your total hashrate, meaning how many mining calculations your computer performs each second, along with temperature and power use.
Consider the payout trade-off
Each pool tracks your balance separately. Splitting your work means each balance usually grows more slowly, potentially delaying payouts where pools have minimum withdrawal amounts.
Two pools can be useful for testing reliability or comparing actual results. Compare over a meaningful period, though: short-term payouts can vary because of pool luck and different reward systems.
The bottom line
Use two XMRig instances with carefully divided CPU resources to mine to two pools at once. Use one instance with a backup pool if your real goal is simply to keep mining during an outage.
