When comparing Houdini vs 3D Studio Max, the Slant community recommends 3D Studio Max for most people. In the question“What is the best 3D cinematic animation software?” 3D Studio Max is ranked 4th while Houdini is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose 3D Studio Max is:
As a top-end industry standard tool, 3DS Max users benefit from a rich ecosystem of third-party tools and community knowledge.
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Pros
Pro Price is cheap compared to other options
Pro Huge community
As a top-end industry standard tool, 3DS Max users benefit from a rich ecosystem of third-party tools and community knowledge.
Pro Excellent viewport performance
3DS Max is extremely responsive.
Pro Great polygon modeling
Great for poly-modeling for both high and low polygon counts.
Cons
Con Expensive
A 3DS Max license can be purchased outright for $3675. Subscription plans are available from $122.50/mo (for a full year commitment).
Con Can no longer purchase perpetual license
It is now $185/month, $1,470.00/year, or $4410/4years - subscription only.
Con Unstable and outdated
Bugs carry on from version to version. Lots of old code that still runs on one thread, even if modern systems offer 16+ threads.