Free vs $1,875/Year
Blender is free and open source. Maya costs $1,875/year. Despite the gap, Maya remains standard at major studios.
Modeling
Blender 4.x caught up: modifier stack, geometry nodes, sculpt mode are world-class.
For more on this topic, see our guide on getting started with blender: beginners roadmap.Animation
Maya leads in character animation. HumanIK solver and graph editor purpose-built for production.
Rendering
Blender includes Cycles (path tracer) and EEVEE (real-time) free. Maya requires Arnold (included), V-Ray ($600/yr), or RenderMan.
Industry
Disney and Pixar use Maya. But Ubisoft, Netflix, Epic now support Blender. Indie studios largely switched.
Verdict
Start with Blender. Learn Maya only if targeting a studio that requires it or focusing on character animation.