Limitation: Computer Power

A limitation of 3D animation is that it takes a lot of computing power to perform many of the tasks and processes. Not only is it expensive for the computers that can handle the demand of 3D software, but it also, more often than not, necessary for a large number of these computers to be used for render farms. Render farms are a collection of computers that are set up simply to render out 3D footage and they are used, particularly for feature films, to reduce the render time of the footage. These computers will have high end components to help them run and perform tasks quickly and efficiently.
However, they can't be used for anything else, as they are soley used to render footage, which for the price they come at, makes them a very expensive necessity that smaller companies and studios may not be able to afford or may not have access to, whereas 2D animation can be created on much cheaper computers. Not only this, but the actual software is also extremely expensive, and although software such as Maya is available to students for free for 3 years, that license can't be used for commercial use, and there aren't any deals out there for independent animators or smaller studios. The expense of 3D animation may turn animators and studios to other methods of animation that are a lot cheaper and accessible, turning 3D animation into a medium used only by larger companies such as Pixar and Dreamworks.