Softwr

Mining · head to head

MinePlan vs UDEC

M

MinePlan

Mining

Life of mine planning and scheduling

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
U

UDEC

Mining

Universal distinct element code for mining 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.; UDEC the UDEC product page publishes no price and directs buyers to a quote request or an external software store
  • They diverge on capability: MinePlan covers Life of mine planning, UDEC covers Distinct element modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MinePlan and UDEC actually diverge.

Attributes where MinePlan and UDEC differ
AttributeMinePlanUDEC
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Linux
Founded20081981

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 UDEC

  • Distinct element modeling
  • Joint network modeling
  • Block interaction analysis
  • Support interaction
  • Dynamic analysis
  • FLAC3D
  • 3DEC
  • Leapfrog

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 UDEC
  • Long-term schedulingnot UDEC
  • Feasibility studiesnot UDEC
  • Economic analysisnot UDEC
  • Strategic planningnot UDEC

UDEC

  • Geotechnical engineering simulationsnot MinePlan
  • Discrete element modeling and analysisnot MinePlan
  • Mining and tunneling software analysisnot 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.

UDEC

  • The UDEC product page publishes no price and directs buyers to a quote request or an external software store
  • Fluid Flow, Barton-Bandis joint analysis, Creep, Thermal and User Defined Models are optional add ons charged on top of the base licence
  • Writing custom constitutive models requires the separately licensed UDM option and C++ programming
  • Purchases through the Buy Now route are prepaid annual subscriptions rather than a permanent licence

Pricing, plan by plan

MinePlan

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

UDEC

On request
  • UDEC Professional$19000/year
    • Distinct element analysis
    • Joint modeling
    • Block interaction

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 UDEC if

  • You need distinct element modeling.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want joint network modeling.
UDEC review

Questions people ask

Is MinePlan or UDEC better?
Neither clearly leads. MinePlan starts at On request and UDEC at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MinePlan or UDEC?
MinePlan starts at On request and UDEC at On request.
Does MinePlan or UDEC run on more platforms?
MinePlan runs on Windows. UDEC 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 UDEC is typically brought in for.
What can MinePlan do that UDEC cannot?
MinePlan covers Life of mine planning, Long-term scheduling, Economic modeling, Scenario analysis. UDEC covers Distinct element modeling, Joint network modeling, Block interaction analysis, Support interaction. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

UDEC: How much does UDEC cost?

UDEC pricing is not published on the product page. The vendor directs inquiries through an 'Ask an Expert' contact option at [email protected] or a 'Request a Quote' option through the itascasoftware.com store.

Source
UDEC: What is UDEC's pricing model?

UDEC is available through a subscription model rather than one-time licensing. Prepaid annual subscriptions are available through the software store, and pricing is customized based on quote requests.

Source
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