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Mining · head to head

Carlson Mining vs Minemax Planner

Carlson Mining logo

Carlson Mining

Mining

Mining and surveying software solution

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Minemax Planner logo

Minemax Planner

Mining

Strategic mine planning and optimization software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Carlson Mining no pricing published on primary domain; Minemax Planner minemax.com/products returns a 301 redirect to dataminesoftware.com and no product named Planner is listed on the Datamine planning solutions page
  • They diverge on capability: Carlson Mining covers Pit design, Minemax Planner covers Schedule optimization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Carlson Mining and Minemax Planner actually diverge.

Attributes where Carlson Mining and Minemax Planner differ
AttributeCarlson MiningMinemax Planner
Founded19831997

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Mining).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Carlson Mining

  • Pit design
  • Grade control
  • Production planning
  • Survey integration
  • Mapping
  • AutoCAD
  • ArcGIS
  • GPS

Only in Minemax Planner

  • Schedule optimization
  • NPV maximization
  • Cutoff grade optimization
  • Pushback scheduling
  • Multi-scenario analysis
  • Vulcan
  • Surpac
  • Whittle

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Carlson Mining

  • Pit designnot Minemax Planner
  • Grade controlnot Minemax Planner
  • Mine planningnot Minemax Planner
  • Surveyingnot Minemax Planner
  • Mappingnot Minemax Planner

Minemax Planner

  • Mine production scheduling and plan trackingnot Carlson Mining
  • Comparing life of mine scenarios against a base plannot Carlson Mining

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Carlson Mining

  • No pricing published on primary domain
  • No pricing page accessible via /pricing or /plans
  • Vendor contact required to obtain cost information

Minemax Planner

  • minemax.com/products returns a 301 redirect to dataminesoftware.com and no product named Planner is listed on the Datamine planning solutions page
  • No pricing is published; licences require contacting the Datamine sales team
  • Planning capability is sold in role based bundles rather than as a single named planner licence

Pricing, plan by plan

Carlson Mining

On request
  • Carlson Mining Standard$7000/year
    • Mining design
    • Pit design
    • Grade control
  • Carlson Mining Professional$15000/year
    • Advanced mine planning
    • Production scheduling
    • Equipment management

Minemax Planner

On request
  • Minemax Planner$20000/year
    • Schedule optimization
    • NPV maximization
    • Cutoff grade analysis
  • Minemax Enterprise$40000/year
    • Multi-mine planning
    • Advanced optimization
    • Integration APIs

Which should you pick?

Choose Carlson Mining if

  • You need pit design.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want grade control.
Carlson Mining review

Choose Minemax Planner if

  • You need schedule optimization.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want npv maximization.
Minemax Planner review

Questions people ask

Is Carlson Mining or Minemax Planner better?
Neither clearly leads. Carlson Mining starts at On request and Minemax Planner at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carlson Mining or Minemax Planner?
Carlson Mining starts at On request and Minemax Planner at On request.
Does Carlson Mining or Minemax Planner run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Carlson Mining best used for?
Carlson Mining is most often used for pit design, grade control, mine planning, surveying. Of those, pit design and grade control are not what Minemax Planner is typically brought in for.
What can Carlson Mining do that Minemax Planner cannot?
Carlson Mining covers Pit design, Grade control, Production planning, Survey integration. Minemax Planner covers Schedule optimization, NPV maximization, Cutoff grade optimization, Pushback scheduling. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Carlson Mining: How much does Carlson Software cost?

Carlson Software does not publish pricing. No pricing page is available on carlsonsw.com. Contact the vendor directly for quotes and licensing terms.

Source
Minemax Planner: What discount do planning bundles offer compared to standalone Minemax licenses?

Minemax planning bundles save up to 33% versus purchasing standalone licenses.

Source
Carlson Mining: What is Carlson Software's pricing model?

Carlson Software's pricing model is not published online. The vendor appears to use a custom quote or contact-sales model. Reach out to their sales team to discuss your specific project needs.

Source
Minemax Planner: What are the three Minemax planning subscription tiers?

Strategic Mine Planner, Operations Planner, and Surveyor/Technician bundles.

Source
Minemax Planner: How do I find pricing for Minemax Planner?

Specific pricing is not published on Minemax's website. You must contact the sales team directly via their contact form or book a consultation to discuss tailored solutions.

Source
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