When comparing 3D Studio Max vs Autodesk Maya, the Slant community recommends Autodesk Maya for most people. In the question“What is the best 3D modeling software?” Autodesk Maya is ranked 8th while 3D Studio Max is ranked 13th. The most important reason people chose Autodesk Maya is:
Has an extensive list of tools for modelling, look development, rigging, animation, rendering and exporting.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
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.
Pro Myriad of features
Has an extensive list of tools for modelling, look development, rigging, animation, rendering and exporting.
Pro Industry standard
Maya has been the industry standard for 3d modelling and animation for years.
Pro Combining powerful, realistic rendering with ease of use
Arnold is now the default interactive renderer, which can be found in the render settings. Solid Angle's global illumination ray tracer is used by many Hollywood studios.
Pro Expensive
Pro Extensible
The MEL language allows one to either write custom scripts or to download them.
Pro Support
Extensive support from Autodesk and users around the world.
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Con Unstable and outdated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.
Con Only for Windows
Con Pricey
Don't expect to get Maya cheap. It is considerably more expensive than lesser 3D programs.
Con Difficult to learn
Expect to look at tons of tutorials.
Con Poorly organized interface
The menu organization doesn't make sense, and leaves you searching all over the place for functions that should fall under one category. For example, the option to bake your animation isn't under the Animation menu.
Con Unstable
The system can just crash unexpectedly.
Con Expensive
Real expensive in the long run.
Con Boolean bugs
A lot of polygon issues making boolean operations.