The consensus is that for work-alone people, the most suitable apps are:
- Daz 3D (free)
- Seems like it focuses on use of prefab(-ricated) objects and scenery more than sculpting and extruding etc. Just my initial impression, could be wrong.
- Carrara (~$150)
- “really noob-friendly interface”
- But no dynamic materials, hence for example you can’t drape cloth.
- Blender (free)
- Rich in features but confusing to a newbie, easier to move onto once Carrara has been mastered. Changes its interface every year…
- “quite a few studios are using Blender alongside their existing workflow”
But for people in industry, who have to collaborate, these are only useful for learning the general principles. Instead they use Maya