It was a tossup between the Blendtec and the Oster Versa for me when I decided Vitamix was too expensive. Versa has a heavy, sturdy base, which was important to me. I spent an absurd amount of time watching Blendtec vs Versa vs Vitamix videos to see which did the things I do the most, best. I recommend doing the same. It's a lot of money to throw down on a blender, but if you use it constantly like I do it's a worthwhile investment. $300 is definitely easier to swallow than $600, though, so Blendtec and Oster Versa are probably a good bet.
This lady made a bunch of comparison vides of the Vitamix, Versa, and Blendtec: