Software · head to head
PCBC vs Whittle
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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; Whittle the Internet Archive's capture of Dassault Systemes' GEOVIA Whittle page on 20 January 2021 named it as one of seven distinct GEOVIA mining products (alongside Surpac, GEMS, Minex, MineSched, PCBC, InSite), sold via a 'How to buy' contact process with no price figure published.
- They diverge on capability: PCBC covers Pushback scheduling, Whittle covers Pushback design.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PCBC and Whittle actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (1981).
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 PCBC
- Pushback scheduling
- Sensitivity analysis
- Whittle
Only in Whittle
- Pushback design
- Economic modeling
- PCBC
- Datamine
Both cover
- Pit optimization
- Cutoff grade analysis
- NPV maximization
- Surpac
- MineSched
- Vulcan
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
PCBC
- Pit optimization
- Pushback designnot Whittle
- Cutoff optimizationnot Whittle
- Economic analysis
Whittle
- Pit optimization
- Strategic planningnot PCBC
- Feasibility studiesnot PCBC
- Economic analysis
- Scenario comparisonnot PCBC
Both are used for pit optimization, 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.
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
Whittle
- The Internet Archive's capture of Dassault Systemes' GEOVIA Whittle page on 20 January 2021 named it as one of seven distinct GEOVIA mining products (alongside Surpac, GEMS, Minex, MineSched, PCBC, InSite), sold via a 'How to buy' contact process with no price figure published.
Pricing, plan by plan
PCBC
On request- PCBC Standard$12000/year
- Pit optimization
- Pushback design
- Economic analysis
Whittle
On request- Whittle Standard$15000/year
- Pit optimization
- Economic analysis
- Multiple scenarios
- Whittle Enterprise$25000/year
- Advanced optimization
- Scheduling integration
- NPV maximization
Which should you pick?
Choose PCBC if
- You need pushback scheduling.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want sensitivity analysis.
Choose Whittle if
- You need pushback design.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want economic modeling.
Questions people ask
- Is PCBC or Whittle better?
- Neither clearly leads. PCBC starts at On request and Whittle at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PCBC or Whittle?
- PCBC starts at On request and Whittle at On request.
- Does PCBC or Whittle run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is PCBC best used for?
- PCBC is most often used for pit optimization, pushback design, cutoff optimization, economic analysis. Of those, pushback design and cutoff optimization are not what Whittle is typically brought in for.
- What can PCBC do that Whittle cannot?
- PCBC covers Pushback scheduling, Sensitivity analysis, Whittle. Whittle covers Pushback design, Economic modeling, PCBC, Datamine. Both handle Pit optimization, Cutoff grade analysis, NPV maximization, Surpac.