I am of the opinion that is does matter. For you as an artist. The reason these threads are started is because it is a good reasonable question. And it should be asked.
I have revisited this question many times in the last few years with my DAW. And I have been using DAWs since the early 1990s.
Recently I was at what I considered a transitional point as an artist. It was time to explore DAWs and make a decision. Move to a new tool. I usually google “the best…” and get a lot of great articles to help me dial in the features I need.
I have never found any two apps on any discipline to be the same. And in 3D this fact is even more profound and the differences even more diverse from the top leading apps, Max, Maya, Blender and C4D. It is worth mentioning that only in the last few years has Blender arrived on that list in a serious way.
For one reason or another Modo has kind of dropped out of the discussion. But you could include that.
This is not even considering specialist apps such as Houdini and Zbrush.
At any rate choosing a new software is a daunting task even if you are experienced!
Getting the help of others no matter how biased or flaming the discussions get is extremely useful!
From there you can focus on getting your hands dirty and dig in to the app. But discussions are a great way to illuminate deal killers and obvious downsides that would take you months to find out on your own.
You don’t need to invest countless hours only to find app x does not support feature y.
Maya is the app. to get if you want the leader in performance related to animation and rendering (yes, Autodesk has become the industry leader in rendering as well). Its performance related to subdivision surfaces is also well ahead of Blender. I/O is also a very strong point, since it is pretty much seen as mandatory for game engines and other software to have full-fledged importers for the company’s .fbx format. Then there’s the use of patented technology and good quality, but locked down formats, advantages exclusive to closed source (of which .fbx is one of them).
However, you will have to deal with onerous and/or expensive EULA and licensing policies (even the indie license has a few strings attached) and feedback from users suggest the stability can fluctuate a bit depending on the release (which is anywhere from fairly solid to bugfest). The modeling also reportedly isn’t that great compared to its sibling 3DS Max (which works very well with Maya via .fbx, but it is pricier to have both at once). Autodesk also has a reputation for changing the terms of use, even to the point of trying to take older licenses from users because they are perpetual (they want you on their subscription-only model instead).
Blender meanwhile appears to be more exciting from a development standpoint, especially amid the increase in funding and the changes to make development itself more efficient (2 week sprints ect…). Everything Nodes for instance is slated to rip out and replace one of the last major Blender modules based on ancient cruft (which is particles and hair).
In short, Blender is enough for most projects, I wouldn’t fret if you can’t afford Autodesk’s offerings.
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It’s easy:
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If your project needs it, buy it. Write it off as a “COGS = Cost Of Goods Sold.”
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If your employer uses it, do the same. Never try to “enlighten them.”
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If you have a choice, “roll today’s dice, then choose as wisely as you can today.”
Neither cost, nor the [apparent] lack thereof, should ever play the primary part in any business(!) decision. What is the most-appropriate software tool, all things considered, for you and for this (these …) project(s)?
Also: “Choose well, because from now on you are going to be married to it!” 
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I say Blender is your choice if you don’t want to spend money and have now comparable possibilities as Blender devs are making it a reasonable alternative to paid solutions. And Blender 3.0 is coming up fast. But if you want to work for huge studios, learn Maya rather than Blender as they use e.g. Maya, 3DS Max, Houdini et al and it’s not probable they change their mind about that soon.
Recently, on BSE, a question about an UI related technicality appeared and the user wanted to know if Blender has the same or similar thing as Maya does. So, you’re not the only one who wants to know the differences and this means Blender is gaing more and more ground in the industry.
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An established studio that uses “Product X” isn’t going to “change their mind and use something else,” because there would be considerable business risk in doing so, and no ROI = return on investment." They’ve accumulated expertise, an ever-growing library of digital assets, and an overall production process that allows them to profitably (!!!) deliver results “on time.”
But, kindly observe, today “Product X” might very well be … Blender!
Today there is no longer any question that Blender is also "a reliable, professional, software tool with a very long and bright future and a predictable supply of the necessary money." It now stands alongside these other tools, as its rightful peer. And there it will remain. “Blender has arrived.”
I’ll be more than delighted if they make the next,say, Toy Story at least 50% with Blender. Blender still has some way to go but it’s gaining ever more reckognition and it’s well deserved.