Houdini

SideFX Houdini is a node-based, procedural powerhouse for VFX, simulation, and environment creation. Its core strength lies in building complex, editable effects like pyro, fluids, rigid bodies, and crowds through visual networks. It is the industry standard for FX artists and technical directors in film and games. It offers tiered pricing, including an affordable Indie license.

It ranks highly for its unparalleled procedural workflow, which allows for incredible flexibility and iteration, making it essential for creating dynamic, complex simulations that would be impractical in other software.