Software · head to head
Minemax Planner vs Datamine
Minemax Planner
Software
Strategic mine planning and optimization software
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
D
Datamine
Software
Integrated mining software for resource estimation and planning
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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; Datamine datamine publishes no price, no licence term and no named cost driver; the planning pages route buyers to a consultation or a sales contact form
- They diverge on capability: Minemax Planner covers Schedule optimization, Datamine covers Resource estimation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Minemax Planner and Datamine actually diverge.
| Attribute | Minemax Planner | Datamine |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 | 1986 |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Windows), 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 Minemax Planner
- Schedule optimization
- NPV maximization
- Cutoff grade optimization
- Pushback scheduling
- Multi-scenario analysis
- Whittle
- Deswik
- Excel
Only in Datamine
- Resource estimation
- Geostatistical analysis
- Geological modeling
- Block modeling
- Grade control
- MineSight
- Leapfrog
- SAP
Both cover
- Vulcan
- Surpac
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Minemax Planner
- Mine production scheduling and plan trackingnot Datamine
- Comparing life of mine scenarios against a base plannot Datamine
Datamine
- Geological modelling and resource estimation for mining projectsnot Minemax Planner
- Open pit and underground mine design and schedulingnot Minemax Planner
- Drill and blast design, survey and production reconciliationnot Minemax Planner
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Datamine
- Datamine publishes no price, no licence term and no named cost driver; the planning pages route buyers to a consultation or a sales contact form
- The portfolio is split into many separate products across strategy, design, scheduling, blasting, survey and production, so a complete workflow requires assembling several licences
- Products acquired from other vendors, including Minemax Scheduler and Minemax Tempo, are now sold inside Datamine bundles rather than standalone
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Datamine
On request- Datamine Studio$14000/year
- Resource estimation
- Geostatistics
- Geological modeling
- Datamine Advanced$24000/year
- Advanced optimization
- Strategic planning
- Risk analysis
Which should you pick?
Choose Minemax Planner if
- You need schedule optimization.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want npv maximization.
Choose Datamine if
- You need resource estimation.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want geostatistical analysis.
Questions people ask
- Is Minemax Planner or Datamine better?
- Neither clearly leads. Minemax Planner starts at On request and Datamine at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Minemax Planner or Datamine?
- Minemax Planner starts at On request and Datamine at On request.
- Does Minemax Planner or Datamine run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Minemax Planner best used for?
- Minemax Planner is most often used for mine production scheduling and plan tracking, comparing life of mine scenarios against a base plan. Of those, mine production scheduling and plan tracking and comparing life of mine scenarios against a base plan are not what Datamine is typically brought in for.
- What can Minemax Planner do that Datamine cannot?
- Minemax Planner covers Schedule optimization, NPV maximization, Cutoff grade optimization, Pushback scheduling. Datamine covers Resource estimation, Geostatistical analysis, Geological modeling, Block modeling. Both handle Vulcan, Surpac, Windows support.