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Mining · head to head

Minemax vs MinePlan

Minemax logo

Minemax

Mining

Integrated mining software for geological and operational excellence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
M

MinePlan

Mining

Life of mine planning and scheduling

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Minemax minemax.com/products returns a 301 redirect to dataminesoftware.com; Minemax products are now sold within the Datamine planning range; MinePlan the Internet Archive's capture of mineplan.com.au on 4 March 2020 already showed only a generic 'Website Coming Soon' hosting placeholder rather than a product page, indicating the domain has not hosted a live MinePlan site for at least several years.
  • They diverge on capability: Minemax covers Geological modeling, MinePlan covers Life of mine planning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Minemax and MinePlan actually diverge.

Attributes where Minemax and MinePlan differ
AttributeMinemaxMinePlan
Founded19952008

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Windows), 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 Minemax

  • Geological modeling
  • Mine design
  • Resource estimation
  • Production scheduling
  • Pit optimization
  • Datamine
  • Leapfrog
  • SAP

Only in MinePlan

  • Life of mine planning
  • Long-term scheduling
  • Economic modeling
  • Scenario analysis
  • Feasibility assessment
  • Whittle
  • Excel

Both cover

  • Vulcan
  • Surpac
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Minemax

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

MinePlan

  • Life of mine planningnot Minemax
  • Long-term schedulingnot Minemax
  • Feasibility studiesnot Minemax
  • Economic analysisnot Minemax
  • Strategic planningnot Minemax

Where each one falls short

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

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

MinePlan

  • The Internet Archive's capture of mineplan.com.au on 4 March 2020 already showed only a generic 'Website Coming Soon' hosting placeholder rather than a product page, indicating the domain has not hosted a live MinePlan site for at least several years.

Pricing, plan by plan

Minemax

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

MinePlan

On request
  • MinePlan Standard$16000/year
    • Life of mine planning
    • Long-term scheduling
    • Economic analysis

Which should you pick?

Choose Minemax if

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

Choose MinePlan if

  • You need life of mine planning.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want long-term scheduling.
MinePlan review

Questions people ask

Is Minemax or MinePlan better?
Neither clearly leads. Minemax starts at On request and MinePlan at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Minemax or MinePlan?
Minemax starts at On request and MinePlan at On request.
Does Minemax or MinePlan run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Minemax best used for?
Minemax is most often used for strategic open pit and underground mine schedule optimisation, life of mine planning to maximise net present value, operational short interval mine scheduling. Of those, strategic open pit and underground mine schedule optimisation and life of mine planning to maximise net present value are not what MinePlan is typically brought in for.
What can Minemax do that MinePlan cannot?
Minemax covers Geological modeling, Mine design, Resource estimation, Production scheduling. MinePlan covers Life of mine planning, Long-term scheduling, Economic modeling, Scenario analysis. Both handle Vulcan, Surpac, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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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