AntPool vs F2Pool: which should you pick in 2026?
Head-to-head on the facts that decide the purchase: real prices in the provider's own unit, minimum, KYC, proof, payment and terms - every number sourced in the linked reviews.
Short answer: F2Pool wins overall (7.5/10 vs 6.5/10). Facts checked 2026-10-02.
| AntPool | F2Pool | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score (0-10) | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| Vertical | Hashrate markets | Hashrate markets |
| Type | pool | hashrate broker |
| Price from | unknown | unknown |
| Minimum | unknown | unknown |
| KYC | optional | none |
| Proof | partial | partial |
| Payment | BTC, LTC, BCH | BTC, LTC, BCH, DOGE |
| Contract term | unknown | unknown |
| Maintenance / fee | BTC PPLNS 2% / FPPS 4% / PPS+ 4% (smart pool); altcoin PPLNS 0-3% per coin | BTC FPPS 4.0% or PPLNS 2.0% (pool fee); no hardware/maintenance product |
| Operator | AntPool | Fram Farm Inc. (BVI company 2138445, Tortola) |
| Facts checked | 2026-10-02 | 2026-10-02 |
// Score breakdown
F2Pool leads on transparency (+1.5), track record (+1), contract terms (+1), ease of use (+1.5), support (+1).
why 6.5/10?
why 7.5/10?
// AntPool at a glance
A long-established pool that genuinely offers cloud hashrate and hosted mining, but its cloud terms are buyer-hostile (non-refundable, suspension still burns the term, operator-measured 95% SLA) and its English disclosure of pricing and entity is thin.
++ What works
- Operating since 2014, one of the largest mining pools; daily payouts and FPPS/PPS/PPLNS support
- Real cloud-hashrate product (speedcloud) and hosted mining ('Instant Hosted Mining Solution')
- Hosted mining has zero up-front electricity/maintenance and ends at 105% hardware ROI
- Named Singapore entity in the service agreements; public JSON APIs for products and pricing
- Anonymous wallet-address mining available for standard pool use
-- What to watch
- Cloud mining is non-refundable/non-changeable once paid
- If mining output < electricity fee, AntPool may suspend the service and the suspension still counts toward the contract term
- 95% service standard is measured by AntPool's own statistics; no third-party audit
- Cloud hashrate pricing unit is not documented in English and the observed product was sold out
- Main site is a JS SPA; help centre blocks datacenter IPs, limiting verifiability
- Service excludes the US, Canada, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Singapore
// F2Pool at a glance
A long-standing, well-disclosed mining pool with competitive fees and a named BVI entity, but it is pool-only and sells no hashrate, so it is not a hashrate/hosting supplier.
++ What works
- Named legal entity with company number (Fram Farm Inc., BVI 2138445)
- 13-year operating history since 2013, self-claimed most Bitcoin blocks of any pool
- Transparent, low pool fees: FPPS 4.0% / PPLNS 2.0%
- Self-announced SOC 2 Type II certification
- Low minimum payout (0.005 BTC), merged mining, Lightning withdrawals, API v1/v2
-- What to watch
- Does not sell hashrate, cloud mining, hosting or futures (negative finding)
- Scale claims (1.2M users, most blocks) are unaudited operator marketing
- No proof-of-reserves for customer balances
- Terms include arbitration, class-action waiver and restricted-person exclusions
- Offshore BVI structure with no named VASP/custody licence
// FAQ
Which is cheaper, AntPool or F2Pool?
Neither publishes pricing we could verify - check the linked reviews.
Which is more verifiable, AntPool or F2Pool?
Tie - both publish partial or full proof (partial).
Which needs less KYC, AntPool or F2Pool?
F2Pool is lighter on KYC (none required); AntPool is optional.
Which has the longer track record?
F2Pool has the longer track record (since 2013).
Scores and facts: meta-reviews with dated sources - AntPool · F2Pool. Method: how we verify. More: all providers compared.