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Mining · head to head

CorePlan vs Minemax

CorePlan logo

CorePlan

Mining

Drilling programme management for mineral exploration teams and drilling contractors

From
$1350/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Minemax logo

Minemax

Mining

Integrated mining software for geological and operational excellence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CorePlan pricing is usage based on plods or shifts and billed annually with overage calculated monthly, so an intense drilling quarter generates an unbudgeted overage invoice, and finance teams that need a fixed annual number will struggle to get one.; Minemax minemax.com/products returns a 301 redirect to dataminesoftware.com; Minemax products are now sold within the Datamine planning range
  • They diverge on capability: CorePlan covers Digital plods, Minemax covers Geological modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CorePlan and Minemax actually diverge.

Attributes where CorePlan and Minemax differ
AttributeCorePlanMinemax
Starting price$1350/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer month by shift or plod volumesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows
FoundedUnknown1995

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 CorePlan

  • Digital plods
  • Rig scheduling
  • Contractor reconciliation
  • Sample and core tracking
  • Field Operations module
  • Advanced Analytics
  • Forms subscription
  • Interoperability service

Only in Minemax

  • Geological modeling
  • Mine design
  • Resource estimation
  • Production scheduling
  • Pit optimization
  • Datamine
  • Vulcan
  • Surpac

What people use each for

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

CorePlan

  • A junior explorer running a two rig programme that wants cost per metre visible weekly instead of when the contractor invoice arrivesnot Minemax
  • A drilling contractor with crews across several client sites submitting plods digitally to cut invoice disputesnot Minemax
  • An exploration manager reconciling contractor billing against recorded shift hours before approving paymentnot Minemax
  • A multi project mid tier miner consolidating hole planning and sample dispatch across sites that currently each run their own spreadsheetnot Minemax

Minemax

  • Strategic open pit and underground mine schedule optimisationnot CorePlan
  • Life of mine planning to maximise net present valuenot CorePlan
  • Operational short interval mine schedulingnot CorePlan

Where each one falls short

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

CorePlan

  • Pricing is usage based on plods or shifts and billed annually with overage calculated monthly, so an intense drilling quarter generates an unbudgeted overage invoice, and finance teams that need a fixed annual number will struggle to get one.
  • Only the Starter tier price is published; Professional, Enterprise and Corporate are all quote only, so comparing CorePlan against a competitor requires entering a sales process before you know the number.
  • Core modules are unbundled: field operations, advanced analytics and custom forms are separately priced add-ons that each start in the hundreds of dollars per month, so the realistic monthly cost is well above the advertised entry price.
  • It is a drilling operations system, not a geological database or modelling package, so it must sit alongside acQuire, Datashed or equivalent and the integration between them is a project rather than a switch.
  • The customer base and support depth are concentrated in Australia and the company is small and venture funded, which means teams in the Americas or Africa get thinner local implementation support and carry the usual supplier concentration risk on a system that sits in the middle of drilling spend.

Minemax

  • minemax.com/products returns a 301 redirect to dataminesoftware.com; Minemax products are now sold within the Datamine planning range
  • No pricing is published for any Minemax product; licences are obtained by contacting the Datamine sales team
  • Products are sold as role based Planning Bundles rather than individual licences, with the claimed saving of up to 33 percent measured against standalone licence cost

Pricing, plan by plan

CorePlan

$1350/month
  • Starter$1350/month
    • One project
    • Up to two rigs
    • Digital plods and rig scheduling
  • Professional$undefined/month
    • Multi-project management for mid-tier explorers
    • Higher rig and shift allowances
    • Priced on quotation
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Large-scale operations
    • Complex data integration
    • Priced on quotation
  • Field Operations add-on$800/month
    • Pre-starts and inspections
    • Field compliance forms
    • From this price

Minemax

On request
  • Minemax Standard$13000/year
    • Geological modeling
    • Mine design
    • Resource estimation
  • Minemax Premium$23000/year
    • Advanced optimization
    • Production scheduling
    • Fleet management

Which should you pick?

Choose CorePlan if

  • You need digital plods.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want rig scheduling.
CorePlan review

Choose Minemax if

  • You need geological modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want mine design.
Minemax review

Questions people ask

Is CorePlan or Minemax better?
Neither clearly leads. CorePlan starts at $1350/month and Minemax at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CorePlan or Minemax?
CorePlan starts at $1350/month and Minemax at On request.
Does CorePlan or Minemax run on more platforms?
CorePlan runs on Web, iOS, Android. Minemax runs on Windows.
What is CorePlan best used for?
CorePlan is most often used for a junior explorer running a two rig programme that wants cost per metre visible weekly instead of when the contractor invoice arrives, a drilling contractor with crews across several client sites submitting plods digitally to cut invoice disputes, an exploration manager reconciling contractor billing against recorded shift hours before approving payment, a multi project mid tier miner consolidating hole planning and sample dispatch across sites that currently each run their own spreadsheet. Of those, a junior explorer running a two rig programme that wants cost per metre visible weekly instead of when the contractor invoice arrives and a drilling contractor with crews across several client sites submitting plods digitally to cut invoice disputes are not what Minemax is typically brought in for.
What can CorePlan do that Minemax cannot?
CorePlan covers Digital plods, Rig scheduling, Contractor reconciliation, Sample and core tracking. Minemax covers Geological modeling, Mine design, Resource estimation, Production scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CorePlan: Is CorePlan a geological database?

No. It manages drilling operations, plods, scheduling and sample dispatch. Geological data still lives in acQuire, Datashed or similar.

Minemax: Is MineMax still sold under its original name?

No. MineMax has been consolidated into Datamine Software and is no longer sold as a standalone product. The product is referenced as 'Minemax Tempo' and other Minemax-branded modules within Datamine's planning bundles.

Source
CorePlan: Can drilling contractors use it too?

Yes, and that is the point. Contractors submit plods on the same platform their client uses, which removes the invoice reconciliation argument.

Minemax: Does Datamine publish its pricing?

No. Datamine uses a role-based licensing model with demo and contact forms required to get pricing. The site directs prospects to 'Talk to us' rather than displaying public rates.

Source
CorePlan: What does it actually cost?

Starter is 1,350 US dollars a month for one project and two rigs, billed annually. Everything above that is quoted, and the analytics and field modules add several hundred dollars a month each.

Minemax: What is the licensing model for Datamine planning software?

Datamine offers role-based planning bundles including Strategic Mine Planner, Operations Planner, and Surveyor/Technician bundles. Each bundle includes a specific set of modules. A la carte individual licenses are also available.

Source
CorePlan: Does it work without mobile signal?

Yes, field capture works offline and syncs when the rig comes back into coverage.

Minemax: Do bundled licenses offer savings?

Yes. Datamine states that bundled licenses can save up to 33 percent compared to purchasing standalone licenses for the same modules.

Source
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