Antminer vs Whatsminer: A Side-by-Side UI Comparison

If you’ve only ever used Antminers, the first time you log into a Whatsminer feels like renting a car in a foreign country. You know how to drive — the basic concepts are identical — but every button and menu is in a slightly different place, and some features have completely different names. The same applies in reverse if you’re coming from Whatsminer to Antminer.

This guide puts both interfaces side by side. We’ll cover where each brand hides the same settings, what’s genuinely different between them, and how to avoid the “where on earth is that option?” frustration when switching brands.

First Things First: Logging In

The very first difference you’ll encounter is at the login screen.

Detail	Antminer	Whatsminer
Default Username	root	admin
Default Password	root	admin
Login Page Style	Simple form, sometimes with model/firmware info	Clean form, often shows serial number
HTTPS Support	Rarely on stock firmware	Some newer models support it

Caution

Both brands ship with well-known default credentials. If you’re deploying miners on any network you don’t fully control, change these passwords immediately. On Antminers, go to “System” -> “Password.” On Whatsminers, look for “Settings” -> “Change Password” or “Admin” settings.

Finding Your Miner’s IP Address

Both brands default to DHCP (they get an IP address from your router automatically). If you don’t know the IP:

• Antminer: Use Bitmain’s official IP Reporter tool, or scan your network with a tool like Advanced IP Scanner or Angry IP Scanner.
• Whatsminer: Use MicroBT’s WhatsMinerTool software, which discovers Whatsminers on your local network. You can also use standard network scanners.

Dashboard Layout: The Home Screen

When you log in, both brands drop you on a status/overview page. But the layouts are quite different.

Antminer Dashboard

The Antminer dashboard (often titled “Miner Status” or “Dashboard”) is typically organized as:

• Top section: Real-time hashrate graph or summary numbers (GH/s or TH/s per board and total)
• Hash Board Table: Shows each chain (board) with columns for chip count, frequency, voltage, hashrate, and temperature
• Fan Section: RPM for each fan, sometimes with a duty cycle percentage
• Pool Status: Connected pool, accepted/rejected shares, uptime
• Miner Info: Model, firmware version, MAC address, uptime counter

Antminer dashboards tend to be data-dense — lots of numbers in tables. Stock firmware’s interface is functional but not particularly polished.

Whatsminer Dashboard

The Whatsminer dashboard (often titled “Overview” or “Summary”) is usually organized as:

• Summary Cards: Big numbers at the top showing total hashrate, temperature, fan speed, and uptime
• Hashrate Section: Real-time and average hashrate, sometimes with a graph
• Hardware Section: Board status, chip count, frequency
• Network Section: IP address, pool connection status
• System Info: Model, firmware version, serial number

Whatsminer dashboards tend to be cleaner with more visual hierarchy. Newer firmware versions have improved the interface significantly.

Where to Find Hashrate

What You’re Looking For	Antminer	Whatsminer
Total hashrate (real-time)	“Miner Status” -> top of page or summary row	”Overview” or “Summary” -> main hashrate display
Per-board hashrate	”Miner Status” -> chain table (each row = one board)	“Hardware” or “Hash Board” section
Average hashrate (15m/1h/24h)	Often shown on pool’s dashboard, not always on miner	Some models show it; otherwise check pool dashboard
Hashrate graph	Some firmware versions include one; not universal	More commonly included in newer firmware

Where to Find Temperature

What You’re Looking For	Antminer	Whatsminer
Chip temperature	”Miner Status” -> chain table -> “ASIC” or “Chip” column	”Overview” -> temperature display, or “Hardware” section
Board/PCB temperature	”Miner Status” -> chain table -> “PCB” or “Board” column	”Hardware” -> board temp
Per-chip temp (individual chips)	Usually only in logs or custom firmware	Rarely available in web UI
Inlet/Outlet temp	Some models show this separately	Some models show “Environment” temp

Pool Configuration: Telling the Miner Where to Work

Both brands let you configure three pools: a primary pool, a backup (failover 1), and a second backup (failover 2). But they organize the settings differently.

Antminer Pools

Navigate to “Miner Configuration” or “Configuration” in the main menu.

You’ll see three rows, each with:

• URL: The stratum address (e.g., stratum+tcp://pool.example.com:3333)
• Worker: Your worker name (e.g., account.rig01)
• Password: Usually just x or 123

Click “Save & Apply” to save. The miner will restart the mining process with the new settings (usually without a full reboot).

Whatsminer Pools

Navigate to “Settings” -> “Pool” or “Mining Pool” in the main menu.

You’ll see a similar three-pool layout:

• Pool 1 / Pool 2 / Pool 3: Each with URL, username, and password fields
• The field labels might say “Mining Address” instead of “URL” and “Miner” instead of “Worker”

Click “Save” to apply. Whatsminers may require a reboot to apply pool changes on some firmware versions, while others apply them live.

Tip

The pool URL format is the same for both brands: stratum+tcp://hostname:port. Don’t let different field labels confuse you — they’re asking for the same information. The worker name format also depends on the pool, not the miner brand.

Firmware Update Process

Updating firmware is conceptually the same on both brands, but the steps differ.

Antminer Firmware Update

1. Download the firmware .tar.gz file from Bitmain’s website
2. Navigate to “System” -> “Upgrade”
3. Click “Choose File” or “Browse” and select the firmware file
4. Click “Flash image…” or “Upgrade”
5. Wait 5-10 minutes for the flash and automatic reboot
6. Keep firmware file checkbox: Some versions have a “Keep Settings” checkbox. If checked, your pool and network settings survive the update. If unchecked, everything resets to defaults.

Antminer also supports remote firmware updates via SSH for batch operations:

scp firmware.tar.gz root@MINER_IP:/tmp/
ssh root@MINER_IP "sysupgrade /tmp/firmware.tar.gz"

Whatsminer Firmware Update

1. Download the firmware file from MicroBT’s website (usually a .bin or bundled package)
2. Navigate to “Firmware Update” or “Upgrade Firmware” in the menu
3. Select the firmware file
4. Click “Update” or “Upgrade”
5. Wait for the process to complete and the miner to reboot

Whatsminer also supports batch firmware updates through the WhatsMinerTool desktop application, which can flash multiple miners simultaneously. This is particularly useful for large deployments.

Caution

On both brands, never flash firmware meant for a different model. Antminer S19 firmware on an S21 (or vice versa) can damage the machine. Whatsminer M30 firmware on an M50 will cause problems. Always match the exact model number.

Network Settings

Setting	Antminer Location	Whatsminer Location
IP Configuration (DHCP/Static)	“System” -> “Network” or “Network” tab	”Settings” -> “Network” or “Net Setting”
DNS Servers	Usually in the same network settings page	Same network settings area
Hostname	Some firmware allows setting this	Less commonly configurable
MAC Address	Displayed on dashboard or system info	Displayed on overview or system info

Both brands support DHCP (automatic) and static IP configuration. The fields are the same: IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS servers.

The Control Software: CGMiner vs. Whatsminer Backend

Under the hood, these miners run different mining control software, which affects the API and some log formats.

Antminer: CGMiner / BMMiner

Antminers historically run a modified version of CGMiner (or Bitmain’s fork, BMMiner). This open-source mining software has been around since the GPU mining days and has a well-documented API.

• API Port: 4028 (default)
• API Protocol: Custom text-based protocol, not REST
• Common API commands: summary, stats, pools, devs
• Example: echo '{"command":"summary"}' | nc MINER_IP 4028

Whatsminer: Custom Backend

Whatsminers run MicroBT’s proprietary mining backend. The API is different from CGMiner:

• API Port: 4028 (same port number, different protocol on some models)
• API Protocol: JSON-based, but different command structure
• Authentication: Newer Whatsminer firmware requires an API token for write operations
• Tool: MicroBT provides the whatsminer-api documentation and the WhatsMinerTool for management

Note

If you use a fleet management tool like Foreman, Awesome Miner, or Hive OS, the tool abstracts away these API differences. You interact with a unified interface regardless of whether the miner underneath is an Antminer or Whatsminer.

Feature Comparison: What’s Unique to Each Brand

Antminer-Exclusive Features (Stock Firmware)

• Frequency tuning per board: Some Antminer models let you set frequency independently for each hash board, useful when one board runs hotter than others
• Fan speed percentage override: Set fans to a specific duty cycle percentage
• CGMiner API ecosystem: A large ecosystem of third-party tools that work with the CGMiner API
• Custom firmware ecosystem: Braiins OS+, Vnish, and LuxOS all primarily target Antminers, giving you more aftermarket firmware options

Whatsminer-Exclusive Features (Stock Firmware)

• Power mode presets: Whatsminers often come with well-defined power modes (Low, Normal, High) that are easy to switch between without understanding frequency and voltage details
• WhatsMinerTool: A comprehensive desktop application for batch management — discovery, firmware updates, configuration, and monitoring across hundreds of miners
• Auto-frequency adjustment: Some Whatsminer models automatically adjust frequency based on temperature without user intervention
• Built-in API token security: Newer firmware requires authentication for API write operations, adding a layer of security that stock Antminer firmware lacks

Comparing the Settings: A Full Map

Here’s a comprehensive reference for finding equivalent settings across both brands:

Setting	Antminer Location	Whatsminer Location
Pool Config	Miner Configuration	Settings -> Pool
Hashrate View	Miner Status	Overview / Summary
Temperature	Miner Status -> Chain table	Overview -> Hardware
Fan Speed	Miner Status -> Fan section	Overview -> Fan
Firmware Update	System -> Upgrade	Firmware Update
Reboot	System -> Reboot	System -> Reboot
Factory Reset	System -> Reset / Restore	System -> Restore Factory
Network Settings	System -> Network	Settings -> Network
Password Change	System -> Password	Settings -> Change Password
System Logs	System -> Log / Kernel Log	Log / System Log
Model/Serial Info	System -> Overview or Dashboard	Overview -> System Info
Fan Speed Control	Miner Configuration -> Fan	Settings -> Fan (if available)
Frequency/Overclock	Miner Configuration -> Frequency	Settings -> Power Mode
API Access	Enabled by default (port 4028)	Enabled by default (varies by model)

Tips for Switching Brands

If you’re adding Whatsminers to an existing Antminer fleet (or vice versa), here are practical tips to ease the transition:

1. Don’t Fight the Interface — Learn It

Spend 15 minutes clicking through every menu on the new brand’s interface. It’s faster than trying to find settings by guessing based on what the other brand calls them.

2. Pool Settings Are Universal

The pool configuration fields are the same regardless of brand. Your stratum URL, worker name, and password work identically on both. Just find the right menu and enter the same values.

3. Use a Fleet Management Tool

If you’re running more than 5-10 miners, especially a mix of brands, a management tool like Foreman, Hive OS, or Awesome Miner will save you enormous time. These tools provide a unified dashboard regardless of the hardware underneath.

4. Network Scanning Differences

Remember that each brand has its own discovery tool:

• Antminer: IP Reporter (desktop app)
• Whatsminer: WhatsMinerTool (desktop app)

Both can be replaced with a generic network scanner like Angry IP Scanner, which finds any device on your network regardless of brand.

5. SSH Access Differs

• Antminer: SSH is usually available by default. Login with root / root.
• Whatsminer: SSH access may be restricted on stock firmware. MicroBT controls SSH access more tightly. You may need special tools or firmware to get shell access.

6. Monitoring Scripts Need Adjustment

If you have custom monitoring scripts that talk to the CGMiner API on your Antminers, those scripts won’t work on Whatsminers without modification. The API command format is different. Budget time to update your scripts, or switch to a management platform that handles both.

Tip

When mixing brands in the same facility, label your miners physically (a piece of tape with model and IP address) and organize your rack layout so that same-brand miners are grouped together. This makes troubleshooting much faster when you need to match a web interface to a physical machine.

Which Brand Has the Better Interface?

This is subjective, and it honestly depends on what you value:

Antminer wins on: raw data visibility, custom firmware ecosystem, community tooling, SSH accessibility, and configurability. If you’re a tinkerer who wants to tweak every parameter and has custom scripts, Antminer’s interface gives you more to work with.

Whatsminer wins on: cleanliness, batch management tooling (WhatsMinerTool is genuinely excellent), simpler power mode selection, and out-of-the-box API security. If you want a “set it and forget it” experience with good fleet management, Whatsminer is compelling.

For most miners running a handful of machines, the differences are minor. You’ll get used to either interface within a day of clicking around. The mining performance — hashrate, efficiency, reliability — matters far more than whether the temperature reading is on the left side or the right side of the screen.

Wrapping Up

At the end of the day, Antminers and Whatsminers are doing the same job: converting electricity into SHA-256 hashes as efficiently as possible. Their web interfaces are just different dashboards for the same fundamental operation. The pool settings, network configuration, and monitoring data are all conceptually identical — they’re just organized differently.

The biggest practical differences are in API compatibility (CGMiner vs. Whatsminer API), firmware ecosystem (Antminer has more custom firmware options), and batch management tooling (Whatsminer’s WhatsMinerTool is hard to beat for large deployments).

Whether you’re an Antminer loyalist, a Whatsminer advocate, or running both, understanding the interface differences means you’ll never waste time hunting for a setting that’s right in front of you.

This wraps up the Web Interface series. You now know how to read your dashboard, configure pools, set up networking, manage system settings, read logs, and navigate both major brands. Next, let’s dive deeper into the mining concepts that power everything you see on that screen.