I didn't care much for Anim8or, too limited. Rhino is a decent "budget buy". If you have 3DSMAX3, I would run with that for a little while. I tried many apps, haven't gotten in too deep on most, but it seems that the basics are the same. As to which is best for you, that will be a matter of taste. If you are serious about modeling, you will have to spend the money, there is no way around it. At that point, your decision should be based on your particular needs and nothing to do with budget. Do your research.