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Mining · head to head

MinePlan vs PCBC

M

MinePlan

Mining

Life of mine planning and scheduling

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PCBC logo

PCBC

Mining

Pit optimisation and scheduling software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real 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.; PCBC dassault Systemes GEOVIA PCBC has no published commercial pricing and is sold via direct contact, with a separate Academic License Program as the only named alternative tier
  • They diverge on capability: MinePlan covers Life of mine planning, PCBC covers Pit optimization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MinePlan and PCBC actually diverge.

Attributes where MinePlan and PCBC differ
AttributeMinePlanPCBC
Founded20081981

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 MinePlan

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

Only in PCBC

  • Pit optimization
  • Pushback scheduling
  • Cutoff grade analysis
  • NPV maximization
  • Sensitivity analysis
  • MineSched

Both cover

  • Vulcan
  • Surpac
  • Whittle
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

MinePlan

  • Life of mine planningnot PCBC
  • Long-term schedulingnot PCBC
  • Feasibility studiesnot PCBC
  • Economic analysis
  • Strategic planningnot PCBC

PCBC

  • Pit optimizationnot MinePlan
  • Pushback designnot MinePlan
  • Cutoff optimizationnot MinePlan
  • Economic analysis

Both are used for economic analysis, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

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.

PCBC

  • Dassault Systemes GEOVIA PCBC has no published commercial pricing and is sold via direct contact, with a separate Academic License Program as the only named alternative tier

Pricing, plan by plan

MinePlan

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

PCBC

On request
  • PCBC Standard$12000/year
    • Pit optimization
    • Pushback design
    • Economic analysis

Which should you pick?

Choose MinePlan if

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

Choose PCBC if

  • You need pit optimization.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want pushback scheduling.
PCBC review

Questions people ask

Is MinePlan or PCBC better?
Neither clearly leads. MinePlan starts at On request and PCBC at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MinePlan or PCBC?
MinePlan starts at On request and PCBC at On request.
Does MinePlan or PCBC run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is MinePlan best used for?
MinePlan is most often used for life of mine planning, long-term scheduling, feasibility studies, economic analysis. Of those, life of mine planning and long-term scheduling are not what PCBC is typically brought in for.
What can MinePlan do that PCBC cannot?
MinePlan covers Life of mine planning, Long-term scheduling, Economic modeling, Scenario analysis. PCBC covers Pit optimization, Pushback scheduling, Cutoff grade analysis, NPV maximization. Both handle Vulcan, Surpac, Whittle, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PCBC: Where can I find GEOVIA PCBC pricing?

GEOVIA does not publish pricing on the product page. Interested buyers should contact GEOVIA directly via their contact link or visit the full GEOVIA website to request pricing information.

Source
PCBC: How can I learn more about PCBC before purchasing?

GEOVIA provides a user community resource where real-world users share experiences. You can also contact their sales team directly for product information and trial inquiries.

Source
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