# Maya Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Maya the right Animation solution for you? Explore 38 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/150804/Maya/reviews --- Maya 4.6 (38) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/150804/Maya/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Maya Ease of use 3.7 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews BW Bailey W StudentAnimation, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It's easy to use, with being able to create keyframes easily, animation layers, and many tools to help bring things to life.“ July 5, 2025 Ajoob s Engineer traineeChemicals, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “One of the best software for complex designing of models in 2d and 3d.“ May 10, 2022 Ayodeji O Additive manufacturing Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “From designing of complex models to detailed texturing then to rigging and animation, Maya is a richly packaged software to satisfy its users.“ October 16, 2021 Ayodeji O Additive manufacturing Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “For beginners, there are enough tutorials to get you started at least for basic modeling and animation, and there is a large support community in case you run into any technical problem.“ October 16, 2021 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 38 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Harry G. Head of Creative Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A fantastic multi-tool for all things 3D." August 30, 2024 5.0 I've been using it for over 10 years and it has never disappointed me, regardless of what level of detail I needed to execute for a project. Fantastic all-rounder. Pros The vast amount of functionality within one program, from modelling to nwrapping to texturing and baking/rendering. It has everything you need to complete a full work pipeline. Cons The unwrapping functionalities are a bit outdated compared to software that are made for it specifically, though this is to be expected from a "multi-tool" software. Review Source MP Marissa P. Executive Director Human Resources Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Maya Mayhem" January 16, 2026 5.0 I thuroughly enjoyed using this program. I have only scratched the surface of what this program can do and it blows my mind what i was able to do with the little time I have used it. Pros Being able to create charaters and objects in a 3d space and being able to bring those items to live with rigging, textures, and movement. The program is designed in a way to make it easy to understand each step in creating 3d and animated videos Cons The cost of this software. I wish this was offered for free to nonprofit profits or a discount program. Switched from [3ds Max](https://www.capterra.com/p/206897/3ds-Max/) It's rigging functions were a little bit better and easier to manage. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Customer Service Associate Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great way to make animations, crashes a lot" January 9, 2018 3.0 Pros I love that you can create and build 3D models and make animations. It's easy to make animations with the automatic in-between keys that Maya puts in. Cons Maya freezes a lot and uses up too much memory on my laptop. It heats up my laptop and has unexpected crashes. Sometimes something wrong goes with the model and I can never fix it again. Other times the model stops working and I have to open a whole new file to copy and paste the model in to reanimate it. Review Source BW Bailey W. Student Animation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The King of 3D Animation Software" July 5, 2025 5.0 Maya is still the king of 3D animation software, and Blender still hasn't been able to catch up. It's no wonder it's still still so heavily used in the industry. It's easy to use, with being able to create keyframes easily, animation layers, and many tools to help bring things to life. It's great being able to use third-party rendering engines, alongside Arnold. I can use Renderman, V-Ray, and others depending on what I see fit with my project. Only issue is pricing is quite high and unattainable to most people starting out, even with the cheaper indie plans. Autodesk should look into cutting their prices, even if that could involve creating cut-down versions of Maya for specific specialties (a version for animation, a version for modelling, etc). Linux support needs to be fixed, as Redhat is the only distro that seems to work with the latest versions, despite them listing install guides for Ubuntu. Pros Easy to use for creating animations, and rendering them out. Supports other rendering engines, so I can use alternatives like Renderman and V-Ray, depending on my project. Although Arnold is still a great rendering engine. Cons Cost is extremely high, even with their cheaper indie plan. Would be nice to see a cheaper price (maybe could be achieved by making cut down versions for specific specialties?). Linux support needs to be improved, as I've only been able to get it working on Redhat, despite them having an installation guide for Ubuntu. Review Source JS Jennifer S. owner Animation Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Maya is my go to everyday!" March 4, 2025 5.0 My overall experience is great when using Maya. I'm able to get most of the stuff needed to be done with access to the many tools available to me. All the way from the asset-building to the render process. It is all a breeze and will be using Maya for years to come. Pros The ease of Maya is simple yet complex. I do everything in Maya from building 3d assets to making entire 3d environments. There is always an option to make the process much smoother. Cons I do sometimes dislike when Maya crashes over the rendering process with Arnold but overall I think this is unavoidable. Review Source Ayodeji O. Additive manufacturing Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best game character modeling and animation software " October 16, 2021 5.0 Maya has been my very good friend since my school days. I use it to model characters for Unity 3D game engine. With patience and determination you can push through the steep learning curve and get a good mastery of Maya. What Maya offers is far greater than the difficulties faced while learning it. I always advice beginners not to rush it and take their time to better understand it. But it quite easy for people already familiar with other modeling and animation software to use Maya. Pros Maya is all in one 3D design software. From designing of complex models to detailed texturing then to rigging and animation, Maya is a richly packaged software to satisfy its users. The yearly update always introduces new feature to make usage easy. Also, the ability to export modeled character directly to Unity 3D for game and virtual reality development makes Maya my choice of game character development software. Models designed in Maya is supported by most gaming and texturing software. For beginners, there are enough tutorials to get you started at least for basic modeling and animation, and there is a large support community in case you run into any technical problem. Cons Maya is a robust software which makes it hard to wrap your mind around it within a short period of time especially for beginners. It took me years to learn, and as a matter of fact, there are still some functions that I'm yet to master. So it takes time to have a mastery of Maya because of how robust it is. Also, it is heavy in size and it eat up all the storage space and also there is a need for  good graphics card to run it well on your PC. Cant be used on most low end PC. Review Source Leandro V. Diretor CEO Internet Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best 3D modeling software I've ever known" September 27, 2021 5.0 He just loves to produce amazing 3D work, is Maya, he practically helps me with all the needs I need when I'm editing my 3D animation characters whenever I'm creating personal or professional projects. Pros Once you learn to move you don't forget, it seems difficult at first, but as you use it over the months, you learn a lot that the course doesn't teach. Maya is one of the best animation software, in my opinion, I studied this software for 5 years and it was a great learning experience for my digital career Cons There is only one free version that I can use for just 30 days. Could have a free version with limited recursions. Review Source Geoffrey L. Infographiste Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The most robust 3d software i've used that I use as main 3d package." January 24, 2018 5.0 The ability to bring 3d animation projects to completion, from the first modeling stages to the final render. Maya can handle lots of things : heavy geometry, lots of caches, animation and motion capture data, lots of textures. It gets better as your company grows in size. Pros The most useful thing about Maya is how effective it is to use it into my animation studio pipeline. The reference system is by far my favorite from any other package I have seen, this is not random that every major visual effect studio uses Maya as primary 3d software. Cons The only downfall that I personally face using Maya is the spline system which is not as flexible and updatable as say 3dsmax. I think autodesk should look into merging the 3dsmax spline system. Review Source Ajoob S. Engineer trainee Chemicals Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best in designing softwares." May 10, 2022 4.0 Pros One of the best software for complex designing of models in 2d and 3d. The software helps to render the designs in high quality. The tools are easily accessible as compared to other softwares. Cons Sometimes the software crashes when working with high resolution designs. Review Source shawn M. Partner / Production Manager Used the software for: 2+ years ### "excellent full freatured 3D design program " February 16, 2018 4.0 Best value for for the money, a full featured piece of software Pros \-one program from modeling texturing rendering animation -new features added every year to make the creative process more user friendly -excellent control over every aspect of creation -able to create custom controls,scrips,nodes -hot keys make finding what you need very convienient -this is the software the pros use -excellent product for the price Cons \-extremely daunting to get started -will take many years to master -can be frustrating when something goes wrong, you will need patience and good problem solving skills to master -Can be hard on system resources with complex scenes Review Source AR Alyssa R. Professor Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Teacher using this software for an intro course" January 31, 2018 5.0 Pros I love the ease of this program for beginners compared to other beginner programs. It has many of the features that other begin our programs have but the software is more like a professional quality software. I also enjoy many of the new features that the program has incorporated over the years. Cons Somethings that I do not like about the program are how they change the interface very often from year to year. It would be nice if the interface stay more similar so that when you update if you didn't have to learn a new software all over again. Review Source AX Amy X. Student Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Powerful 3D modeling software that is reasonably intuitive" January 13, 2018 5.0 Pros \- The 3D modeling functionality is quite powerful, and I feel like you can make a lot of things just with a little bit of training. - The menu search functionality is very helpful for finding different tools, especially since the overall UI can be a little overwhelming at times. Cons \- The UV wrapping/unwrapping functionality is sometimes buggy, which leads to crashes and the loss of a lot of work. Review Source AA Andras A. Application Developer Internet Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Best software for most professional film production firms" October 27, 2021 5.0 Too great to be true. Pros \- You can do everything that film is - Great possibilities of using Cons \- You have to be studied - It is not cheap - You need the newest and best graphic hardware Review Source YM Yogesh M. Game Artist Computer Games Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great tool for 3D modellers" January 9, 2025 5.0 Though it's not the most user friendly software with old UI but it's has robust UV features and powerful Integrated Arnold renderer and Xgen (it's difficult to set up and pretty buggy but looks great when it works. Have created props and models using maya plus beauty renders for the portfolio. Pros 3D modelling, UV & robust retopology tools. Integrated features like Xgen and arnold renderer. Cons Random crashes, navigation and the old style UI. Review Source CP Courtney P. Concept Artist Animation Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Almost like Blender" June 9, 2024 5.0 Pros \- Tutorials provided for easy learning in the Home Screen - Shapes at the top of the headlines to use Cons \- Easy to get confused with program - Easily can lose file if input wrong button coordinates Review Source AA Anthony A. Freelancer Animation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A very powerful tool " December 29, 2021 5.0 It is outstanding to be able to have access and operate a platform that is used to create film and commercial projects within the industry. Pros This platform allows you to achieve more than just learning to model/animate in 3D and create visual effects. By developing your own creative skills with this application, you can use this to accomplish: - Blueprints/Wireframes - Storyboarding - 2D Animation - Character/Object Rigging - Architecture/Interior Design You have the ability to install plug-ins and set models to be 3D printed. For students, you can apply for a three year free license version. Cons When generating high resolution visual effects, such as explosions, it can sometimes cause Maya to crash. Not all dynamic effects always work simultaneously. For some people, it can take a lot of time to practice before becoming fluent with the tools. It is very expensive to rent and you cannot buy it. A student version is not permitted to be used to make a profit. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Freelance Videographer, Freelance Designer Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I have used Maya for almost ten years and I wouldn't use anything else." February 7, 2018 5.0 With Maya, you get a full range of tools and the ability to create anything your heart desires. From my experience, rendering doesn't take as long in Maya than it can in other programs. Pros Why settle for anything less? Maya has everything you need for 3D animation and more. I have even produced motion graphics with it. This is the most versatile and user-friendly program out there for 3D animation. Cons Maya is incredibly expensive if you are not a student. The price alone is something of a deterrent, but don't let that stop you because it is well worth the price. Review Source Usamedin N. 3D modeller Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I've been modelling game characters for my personal project" January 18, 2018 4.0 Pros I like the most that it has many tools not just for modelling but the whole 3D area, modelling,rendering,rigging,animation etc... Then i like that the whole UI is customizable, and last i like that it has the option to write scripts! Cons I don't like the redesign that happens every year on this software, and they are moving the tools around the menus other than that everything is super cool. Review Source JH Justin H. Instructor, Editor, Content Manager E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fantastic and Very Powerful 3D application" September 18, 2017 5.0 Flexibility, ease of use, variety of tools that cover various aspects of the pipeline, etc. From beginning to end, Maya has the power to build something as complex as a full length feature film or as simple as a single asset for a video game. You name it, if it involves the 3d art pipeline, changes are Maya does it and does it well. There may be a few features here and there that I haven't been thrilled about throughout the years, but Autodesk is very good at staying on top of their game and always providing new tools as well as fixing existing tools that don't function as expected (which is not very often). Pros Offers a WIDE range of features without the need for 3rd party applications to provide a desired result. I've been using Maya for many years for tasks such as asset modeling, rigging, animation, rendering, etc. and I have yet to find a product that I would rather use. Review Source Pedro C. Graphic Designer Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Slow learning 3D modelling" December 1, 2021 5.0 It was really complex at first, because I was used to other programs, that had different commands and tools, but once you start learning, getting to know the tools, and exploring the software, it gets progressively easier. Pros Great variety of sculpting tools Great variety of 3D modelling tools. Easy use of rigging. Cons The price is too high. Learning can be complex. PC requirements are high. Screen can get crowded because the program opens a lot of windows. A second screen can be necessary. Review Source Edgar R. Coordinator Used the software for: 2+ years ### "the best of the best for professional design work 3d" March 6, 2018 5.0 I have made 3d logos with cinematic effects for several electoral events Pros the tool that stands out is the render module. you have all the options you need to generate a render with a professional level, another element that stands out is the module to add textures is great and realistic. Cons it is a bit slow if you do not have a powerful PC, it is necessary to improve the compatibility with several vector formats and make the effects menu a bit more intuitive, it can sometimes be confusing Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Sviluppatore Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The most complete tool for 3D computer graphics" January 24, 2018 5.0 I've been able to learn 3D CG and grow a personal hobby. Pros With Autodesk Maya, you'll be able to create any kind of 3D content, from organic to mechanic models, fluid and special effects, you'll also be able to texture your models and animate them, handle all the lighting and rendering phase. Cons The interface is not easy and clean, you'll find a lot of menus, buttons and tools, and this is because Maya can do a huge variety of things. It might take a while before getting used to all the software shortcuts. Review Source AM Ahmad M. CEO Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OK!, If you are one of those individuals who get bored quickly? Maya is not for you in addition the" February 7, 2018 5.0 Pros Character modeling and Animation produced one of the best if not the best results than any other 3D Modeling Software out there. I used Maya since version 4.0 up to the moment 2018 with tons of improvements over the years of course. Maya is not limited to just "Character Modeling & Animation", Architectural structures also have gotten better over the years but always possible to model "Architectural Objects" as well. So I have fun every time I use the Software. It's important to keep in mind the learning curve is key which means lots of patience. Cons Maya is great! but the learning curve comes along with the package. The process to model certain objects in May\[in my opinion\] can be frustrating especially with the older versions\[ Maya 4,5,6,7&8\]. I had my moments of frustrations with different projects I was engaged in. The price tag was up there, previously there were two versions\[Regular & Pro\]. At the moment? it's a one price Software 2018. So the price tag & still learning curve but much easier than previously. Review Source LP Leighann P. Customer service representative Telecommunications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A must have" August 28, 2021 5.0 Pros It's the easiest way to make 3d animation and architectural work Cons Everything's AOK haven't experienced anything bad about it Review Source Adriel O. Chief Statistician Research Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "An example of software long overtaken by FOSS" March 3, 2022 2.0 Pros Autodesk Maya was a staple of 3D modeling, and I used it to great effect for visual projects. It became an industry need for a reason: it's effective in what it does. Cons Unfortunately, its high price and paid updates make it pale in comparison to Blender. The latter software is not only free and open source, but it has all the functionality of paid software. Autodesk Maya is a great example of software long overtaken by FOSS alternatives, together with Photoshop, Illustrator, and MS Office among many others. Review Source Similar Products Featured