Softwr

Mining & Resources · head to head

Minemax Planner vs Vulcan

Minemax Planner logo

Minemax Planner

Mining & Resources

Strategic mine planning and optimization software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vulcan logo

Vulcan

Mining & Resources

Industry-standard 3D mine planning and modeling software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; 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: Minemax Planner covers Schedule optimization, Vulcan covers Geological modeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Minemax Planner and Vulcan actually diverge.

Attributes where Minemax Planner and Vulcan differ
AttributeMinemax PlannerVulcan
Founded19971981

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

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
  • Vulcan
  • Whittle
  • Deswik

Only in Vulcan

  • Geological modeling
  • Block modeling
  • Mine design
  • Resource estimation
  • Production scheduling
  • Leapfrog
  • I-Site
  • SAP

Both cover

  • 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 Vulcan
  • Comparing life of mine scenarios against a base plannot Vulcan

Vulcan

  • Geological modelling, block modelling and resource estimationnot Minemax Planner
  • Open pit and underground mine design and schedulingnot Minemax Planner
  • Grade control and geotechnical analysis at operating minesnot 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

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

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

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 Minemax Planner if

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

Choose Vulcan if

  • You need geological modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want block modeling.
Vulcan review

Questions people ask

Is Minemax Planner or Vulcan better?
Neither clearly leads. Minemax Planner 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, Minemax Planner or Vulcan?
Minemax Planner starts at On request and Vulcan at On request.
Does Minemax Planner or Vulcan 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 Vulcan is typically brought in for.
What can Minemax Planner do that Vulcan cannot?
Minemax Planner covers Schedule optimization, NPV maximization, Cutoff grade optimization, Pushback scheduling. Vulcan covers Geological modeling, Block modeling, Mine design, Resource estimation. Both handle Surpac, Windows support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Minemax Planner

More on Vulcan

Keep looking

Other head to heads