Which software is most commonly used to create simple animations for a website?

Adobe Flash is most commonly associated with creating simple animations for websites due to its unique capability to produce vector-based animations that are lightweight and can easily be integrated into web pages. Flash developed a dedicated environment for animators, allowing them to design interactive and animated content efficiently. Its timeline feature facilitated animation production, letting users build animations frame by frame or using tweening techniques to create fluid motions with minimal file sizes.

Other software options, while powerful in their own contexts, do not primarily focus on web animation. Adobe Illustrator is mainly a graphic design tool used for creating vector graphics but lacks built-in capabilities for animation suitable for web deployment. CorelDRAW is similar in that it is also focused on vector graphic creation and would require additional steps to convert artwork into usable formats for web animation. Autodesk Maya, known for its advanced 3D modeling and animation functions, is typically used for film and game production, making it less practical for simple web animations. Thus, Adobe Flash stands out as the most suitable choice for this purpose.