Hi!
Well, Houdini is an up and coming tool like Maya that can handle alot of things. Most known for its FX capabilities, it is really versatile and can compete with any 3D program within the range. You have amazing fur, crowd simulation, pyro, fluids, animation, modeling and it speaks well with Maya through Houdini Engine. The indie version for one year is 270 dollars. I can´t say that it is better than Maya, but it has all these features out of the box, no need for plugs. It uses a renderer called Mantra, but you can also use 3rd party ones like Redshift, Octane etc. It is entirely node based, besides the direct interaction capabilities. It is a sleeping giant. Here is the link. Hope it helps. You can download Houdini Apprentice, which is free, and look for yourself. This version is watermarked on renders. It is also used more frequently in game asset creation, rigging etc. I feel sort of strange to post this here, since its Autodesk site, and I feel like I´m stepping on their toes, but everyone is entitled to choose for themselves. Good luck!
https://www.sidefx.com