Software · head to head
Micromine vs Vulcan
Micromine
Software
Exploration and mine design software solution
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Vulcan
Software
Industry-standard 3D mine planning and modeling software
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Micromine pricing is not published; sold by quote through a sales process; Vulcan neither the Vulcan product page nor the Maptek store page shows a price, a licence term or a subscription length
- They diverge on capability: Micromine covers Data management, Vulcan covers Block modeling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Micromine and Vulcan actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Micromine
- Data management
- Scheduling
- Vulcan
- AutoCAD
- ArcGIS
- Excel
Only in Vulcan
- Block modeling
- Production scheduling
- Surpac
- I-Site
- SAP
- MineSched
Both cover
- Geological modeling
- Resource estimation
- Mine design
- Leapfrog
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Micromine
- Geological exploration and modellingnot Vulcan
- Resource estimation and geostatisticsnot Vulcan
- Mine design and surveyingnot Vulcan
- Mine planning and schedulingnot Vulcan
- Fleet management and mine operationsnot Vulcan
Vulcan
- Geological modelling, block modelling and resource estimationnot Micromine
- Open pit and underground mine design and schedulingnot Micromine
- Grade control and geotechnical analysis at operating minesnot Micromine
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Micromine
- Pricing is not published; sold by quote through a sales process
Vulcan
- Neither the Vulcan product page nor the Maptek store page shows a price, a licence term or a subscription length
- Vulcan is a base product extended by nine paid add on modules covering geology and estimation, open pit design, underground design, scheduling, grade control and geotechnics, so the entry licence does not cover a full workflow
- Buying requires going through the Maptek store or contacting Maptek directly for a quote
Pricing, plan by plan
Micromine
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Micromine review.
Vulcan
On request- Vulcan Standard$8000/year
- 3D modeling
- Mine design
- Block modeling
- Vulcan Professional$15000/year
- Advanced geostatistics
- Resource estimation
- Pit optimization
- Vulcan Enterprise$25000/year
- All modules
- Custom solutions
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose Vulcan if
- You need block modeling.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want production scheduling.
Questions people ask
- Is Micromine or Vulcan better?
- Neither clearly leads. Micromine starts at On request and Vulcan at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Micromine or Vulcan?
- Micromine starts at On request and Vulcan at On request.
- Does Micromine or Vulcan run on more platforms?
- Micromine runs on Web. Vulcan runs on Windows.
- What is Micromine best used for?
- Micromine is most often used for geological exploration and modelling, resource estimation and geostatistics, mine design and surveying, mine planning and scheduling. Of those, geological exploration and modelling and resource estimation and geostatistics are not what Vulcan is typically brought in for.
- What can Micromine do that Vulcan cannot?
- Micromine covers Data management, Scheduling, Vulcan, AutoCAD. Vulcan covers Block modeling, Production scheduling, Surpac, I-Site. Both handle Geological modeling, Resource estimation, Mine design, Leapfrog.