Softwr

Mining · head to head

CorePlan vs Vulcan Geological Modelling

CorePlan logo

CorePlan

Mining

Drilling programme management for mineral exploration teams and drilling contractors

From
$1350/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vulcan Geological Modelling logo

Vulcan Geological Modelling

Mining

Industry-leading geological modelling for mining

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.; Vulcan Geological Modelling user interface is dated compared to modern mining software
  • They diverge on capability: CorePlan covers Digital plods, Vulcan Geological Modelling covers Implicit modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CorePlan and Vulcan Geological Modelling actually diverge.

Attributes where CorePlan and Vulcan Geological Modelling differ
AttributeCorePlanVulcan Geological Modelling
Starting price$1350/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer month by shift or plod volumesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows
FoundedUnknown1981

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 Vulcan Geological Modelling

  • Implicit modeling
  • Explicit modeling
  • Kriging estimation
  • Simulation
  • Variogram analysis
  • Vulcan Mine Planning
  • Leapfrog
  • 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 Vulcan Geological Modelling
  • A drilling contractor with crews across several client sites submitting plods digitally to cut invoice disputesnot Vulcan Geological Modelling
  • An exploration manager reconciling contractor billing against recorded shift hours before approving paymentnot Vulcan Geological Modelling
  • A multi project mid tier miner consolidating hole planning and sample dispatch across sites that currently each run their own spreadsheetnot Vulcan Geological Modelling

Vulcan Geological Modelling

  • Resource estimationnot CorePlan
  • Geological modelingnot CorePlan
  • Grade controlnot CorePlan
  • Reporting compliancenot 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.

Vulcan Geological Modelling

  • User interface is dated compared to modern mining software
  • Requires extensive training and certification to use effectively due to software complexity
  • High-performance hardware requirements increase capital expenditure for infrastructure
  • Solids operations take an extremely long time to compute, limiting responsiveness
  • Premium pricing makes the software unaffordable for small and mid-sized mining companies

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

Vulcan Geological Modelling

On request
  • Vulcan GM Standard$7500/year
    • Drill hole management
    • Explicit modeling
    • Grade estimation
  • Vulcan GM Advanced$12000/year
    • All Standard features
    • Implicit modeling
    • Conditional simulation
  • Vulcan GM Enterprise$22000/year
    • All modules
    • Multi-site license
    • Priority support

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 Vulcan Geological Modelling if

  • You need implicit modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want explicit modeling.
Vulcan Geological Modelling review

Questions people ask

Is CorePlan or Vulcan Geological Modelling better?
Neither clearly leads. CorePlan starts at $1350/month and Vulcan Geological Modelling at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CorePlan or Vulcan Geological Modelling?
CorePlan starts at $1350/month and Vulcan Geological Modelling at On request.
Does CorePlan or Vulcan Geological Modelling run on more platforms?
CorePlan runs on Web, iOS, Android. Vulcan Geological Modelling 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 Vulcan Geological Modelling is typically brought in for.
What can CorePlan do that Vulcan Geological Modelling cannot?
CorePlan covers Digital plods, Rig scheduling, Contractor reconciliation, Sample and core tracking. Vulcan Geological Modelling covers Implicit modeling, Explicit modeling, Kriging estimation, Simulation.

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.

Vulcan Geological Modelling: What is Vulcan?

Vulcan is Maptek's 3D geological modeling and mine planning software used for exploration, geological modeling, resource estimation, mine design, and production planning. More than 19,000 licenses are used globally across the mining industry.

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.

Vulcan Geological Modelling: What mining tasks can Vulcan perform?

Vulcan handles geological modeling, drillhole data management, block modeling, resource estimation, pit optimization, mine design, grade control, geotechnical analysis, scheduling, geostatistics, and rehabilitation planning.

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.

Vulcan Geological Modelling: What training does Maptek provide for Vulcan?

Maptek provides comprehensive training programs, documentation, and workshops for Vulcan users. However, the tutorials and workshops are limited and cover only basic functionalities, making advanced use of the software difficult without extensive hands-on experience.

Source
CorePlan: Does it work without mobile signal?

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

Vulcan Geological Modelling: What are the system requirements for Vulcan?

Vulcan requires a high-performance computer system with significant processing power and RAM to run effectively, which may necessitate additional hardware investment for smaller operations.

Source
Vulcan Geological Modelling: Is Vulcan difficult to learn?

Yes. Vulcan has complex components requiring extensive training to use effectively. Tutorials and workshops are limited and cover only basic functionalities, making the learning curve steep for new users.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on CorePlan

More on Vulcan Geological Modelling

Keep looking

Other head to heads