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Mining · head to head

Seequent Central vs Vulcan Geological Modelling

Seequent Central logo

Seequent Central

Mining

Collaborative platform for subsurface data management

From
On request
Rated
-
Vulcan Geological Modelling logo

Vulcan Geological Modelling

Mining

Industry-leading geological modelling for mining

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Seequent Central cloud hosted on Microsoft Azure and requires an internet connection, with no offline or self-hosted option; Vulcan Geological Modelling user interface is dated compared to modern mining software
  • They diverge on capability: Seequent Central covers Version control, Vulcan Geological Modelling covers Implicit modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Seequent Central and Vulcan Geological Modelling actually diverge.

Attributes where Seequent Central and Vulcan Geological Modelling differ
AttributeSeequent CentralVulcan Geological Modelling
PlatformsCloud, WindowsWindows
Founded20041981

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 Seequent Central

  • Version control
  • Model publishing
  • Data management
  • Audit trails
  • Secure sharing
  • Leapfrog Geo
  • Leapfrog Works
  • Oasis montaj

Only in Vulcan Geological Modelling

  • Implicit modeling
  • Explicit modeling
  • Kriging estimation
  • Simulation
  • Variogram analysis
  • Vulcan Mine Planning
  • Leapfrog
  • Surpac

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

Seequent Central

  • Centralised version control and audit trails for geological modelsnot Vulcan Geological Modelling
  • Shared 3D visualisation of Leapfrog and Oasis montaj models across distributed teamsnot Vulcan Geological Modelling
  • Project branching for scenario modellingnot Vulcan Geological Modelling
  • Mining exploration and geothermal project coordinationnot Vulcan Geological Modelling
  • Civil engineering and environmental projects needing a single model of recordnot Vulcan Geological Modelling

Vulcan Geological Modelling

  • Resource estimationnot Seequent Central
  • Geological modelingnot Seequent Central
  • Grade controlnot Seequent Central
  • Reporting compliancenot Seequent Central

Where each one falls short

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

Seequent Central

  • Cloud hosted on Microsoft Azure and requires an internet connection, with no offline or self-hosted option
  • Hosting instances start at a minimum 500GB of storage, with more sold as an add-on
  • Billing splits into three separate lines: cloud hosting per organisation, user subscriptions per person and Leapfrog Connector licences per modeller
  • Publishing models from Leapfrog into Central requires a separate Leapfrog Connector licence
  • Value depends on already owning other Seequent tools such as Leapfrog, GeoStudio, PLAXIS or Oasis montaj

Vulcan Geological Modelling

  • User interface is dated compared to modern mining software
  • Requires extensive training and certification to use effectively due to software complexity
  • High-performance hardware requirements increase capital expenditure for infrastructure
  • Solids operations take an extremely long time to compute, limiting responsiveness
  • Premium pricing makes the software unaffordable for small and mid-sized mining companies

Pricing, plan by plan

Seequent Central

On request
  • Central Team$5000/year
    • Version control
    • 5 users included
    • 100GB storage
  • Central Professional$12000/year
    • All Team features
    • 25 users included
    • 500GB storage
  • Central EnterpriseFree
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited storage
    • SSO integration

Vulcan Geological Modelling

On request
  • Vulcan GM Standard$7500/year
    • Drill hole management
    • Explicit modeling
    • Grade estimation
  • Vulcan GM Advanced$12000/year
    • All Standard features
    • Implicit modeling
    • Conditional simulation
  • Vulcan GM Enterprise$22000/year
    • All modules
    • Multi-site license
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Seequent Central if

  • You need version control.
  • You work on Cloud, Windows.
  • You also want model publishing.

Choose Vulcan Geological Modelling if

  • You need implicit modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want explicit modeling.

Questions people ask

Is Seequent Central or Vulcan Geological Modelling better?
Neither clearly leads. Seequent Central starts at On request and Vulcan Geological Modelling at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Seequent Central or Vulcan Geological Modelling?
Seequent Central starts at On request and Vulcan Geological Modelling at On request.
Does Seequent Central or Vulcan Geological Modelling run on more platforms?
Seequent Central runs on Cloud, Windows. Vulcan Geological Modelling runs on Windows.
What is Seequent Central best used for?
Seequent Central is most often used for centralised version control and audit trails for geological models, shared 3d visualisation of leapfrog and oasis montaj models across distributed teams, project branching for scenario modelling, mining exploration and geothermal project coordination. Of those, centralised version control and audit trails for geological models and shared 3d visualisation of leapfrog and oasis montaj models across distributed teams are not what Vulcan Geological Modelling is typically brought in for.
What can Seequent Central do that Vulcan Geological Modelling cannot?
Seequent Central covers Version control, Model publishing, Data management, Audit trails. Vulcan Geological Modelling covers Implicit modeling, Explicit modeling, Kriging estimation, Simulation. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Seequent Central: How much does Seequent Central cost?

Pricing is not published on the Seequent website. For information about Central pricing and purchase, customers must contact Seequent's sales team directly.

Source
Vulcan Geological Modelling: What is Vulcan?

Vulcan is Maptek's 3D geological modeling and mine planning software used for exploration, geological modeling, resource estimation, mine design, and production planning. More than 19,000 licenses are used globally across the mining industry.

Source
Seequent Central: What is the subscription model for Seequent Central?

Seequent Central uses a tiered subscription approach requiring one cloud hosting instance per organization (minimum 500GB storage on Microsoft Azure), one user subscription per person accessing Central, and one Leapfrog Connector per user modeling in Leapfrog.

Source
Vulcan Geological Modelling: What mining tasks can Vulcan perform?

Vulcan handles geological modeling, drillhole data management, block modeling, resource estimation, pit optimization, mine design, grade control, geotechnical analysis, scheduling, geostatistics, and rehabilitation planning.

Source
Seequent Central: Are there add-on options for Seequent Central?

Yes, an Advanced Bundle add-on is available for active Central subscribers, which includes web portal, data collection, and data entry tools.

Source
Vulcan Geological Modelling: What training does Maptek provide for Vulcan?

Maptek provides comprehensive training programs, documentation, and workshops for Vulcan users. However, the tutorials and workshops are limited and cover only basic functionalities, making advanced use of the software difficult without extensive hands-on experience.

Source
Vulcan Geological Modelling: What are the system requirements for Vulcan?

Vulcan requires a high-performance computer system with significant processing power and RAM to run effectively, which may necessitate additional hardware investment for smaller operations.

Source
Vulcan Geological Modelling: Is Vulcan difficult to learn?

Yes. Vulcan has complex components requiring extensive training to use effectively. Tutorials and workshops are limited and cover only basic functionalities, making the learning curve steep for new users.

Source
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