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Mining · head to head

MinePlan vs PLAXIS

M

MinePlan

Mining

Life of mine planning and scheduling

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PLAXIS logo

PLAXIS

Mining

Finite element software for geotechnical analysis

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.; PLAXIS bentley states the cost of PLAXIS 2D, 2D Advanced, 2D Ultimate and the 2D WorkSuite varies per region, and publishes no rate on the product page
  • They diverge on capability: MinePlan covers Life of mine planning, PLAXIS covers 2D & 3D finite element analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MinePlan and PLAXIS actually diverge.

Attributes where MinePlan and PLAXIS differ
AttributeMinePlanPLAXIS
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Linux
Founded20081984

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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
  • Vulcan
  • Surpac
  • Whittle

Only in PLAXIS

  • 2D & 3D finite element analysis
  • Advanced soil modeling
  • Slope stability assessment
  • Excavation design
  • Support design
  • AutoCAD
  • GeoStudio
  • ArcGIS

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

MinePlan

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

PLAXIS

  • Finite element analysis of soil and rock deformation and stabilitynot MinePlan
  • Designing excavations, tunnels, embankments and foundationsnot MinePlan
  • Modelling groundwater flow, consolidation and seismic response in geotechnical worksnot MinePlan

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.

PLAXIS

  • Bentley states the cost of PLAXIS 2D, 2D Advanced, 2D Ultimate and the 2D WorkSuite varies per region, and publishes no rate on the product page
  • Consolidation, creep, groundwater flow and heat flow require the Advanced edition rather than the base PLAXIS 2D
  • Dynamic, vibration and transient analysis require the Ultimate edition
  • A perpetual licence only carries support and licence exchange rights while a paid annual SELECT subscription is maintained
  • The Virtuoso subscription route is a 12 month lease, not an ongoing entitlement

Pricing, plan by plan

MinePlan

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

PLAXIS

On request
  • Virtuoso Subscription$undefined/12-month
    • Software access
    • Training included
    • Auto-renewal
  • Perpetual License with SELECT$undefined/mo
    • One-time purchase
    • Annual maintenance subscription
    • 24/7 technical support
  • Enterprise Plans$undefined/mo
    • Custom arrangements
    • Global pricing
    • Comprehensive software portfolio

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 PLAXIS if

  • You need 2d & 3d finite element analysis.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want advanced soil modeling.
PLAXIS review

Questions people ask

Is MinePlan or PLAXIS better?
Neither clearly leads. MinePlan starts at On request and PLAXIS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MinePlan or PLAXIS?
MinePlan starts at On request and PLAXIS at On request.
Does MinePlan or PLAXIS run on more platforms?
MinePlan runs on Windows. PLAXIS runs on Windows, Linux.
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 PLAXIS is typically brought in for.
What can MinePlan do that PLAXIS cannot?
MinePlan covers Life of mine planning, Long-term scheduling, Economic modeling, Scenario analysis. PLAXIS covers 2D & 3D finite element analysis, Advanced soil modeling, Slope stability assessment, Excavation design. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PLAXIS: What are PLAXIS software tiers?

PLAXIS offers four main tiers: PLAXIS 3D (basic deformation and safety analysis), PLAXIS 3D Advanced (creep/flow-deformation coupling and consolidation), PLAXIS 3D Ultimate (dynamic vibration analysis and time-dependent groundwater flow), and 3D WorkSuite (combines PLAXIS 3D Ultimate with GeoStudio 3D Advanced).

Source
PLAXIS: What licensing models does PLAXIS offer?

PLAXIS offers three licensing approaches: 12-month Virtuoso Subscription (recommended for small to medium businesses), Perpetual License with SELECT (one-time purchase plus annual maintenance), and Enterprise Plans (custom arrangements for larger organizations). Regional pricing varies.

Source
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