Compared to hobbyists/semi-pro 3D apps such as Cheetah3D and Shade, Carrara is way overpriced.

A fair value for Carrara Pro is, in my opinion, $79.- non-discounted list price.

BTW Shade Professional is now priced at $249.- (Link) At this price you get a solid full-fledged general purpose 3D app with very good modeling tools, support for Poser contents through Poser Fusion and a breathtaking renderer almost as good as VRay.

I would also like to make it clear that my gripe is not with Carrara, which is (or was) a very well-thought 3D app in its own right. My issue is with a totally inept company called Daz3D which has been unable to add any significant value to Carrara - or Hexagon and Bryce for that matter - over several years of ownership.