Will VBA Ever become outdated or redundant?

Despite frequent predictions of its demise, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) will likely never become truly obsolete or redundant—at least not in the foreseeable future. One of the primary reasons for its enduring relevance is that VBA is deeply embedded in the workflows of countless organizations, especially those relying on Microsoft Excel for data analysis, automation, and reporting. As long as Excel remains a core system in business environments—and there is no indication that this will change—VBA will continue to serve as a vital tool for automating repetitive tasks, customizing workflows, and integrating across Microsoft Office applications123. Importantly, VBA’s accessibility and ease of use make it an ideal entry point for non-programmers seeking to enhance productivity, while its compatibility with older versions of Excel ensures that legacy systems remain operational without costly overhauls2. Many critical business processes in large corporations, including global banks and financial institutions, are still managed through VBA scripts, demonstrating its ongoing utility and resilience1. While Microsoft has introduced alternatives like Office Scripts and JavaScript APIs, these have not yet matched VBA’s native integration and flexibility within the Office ecosystem13. Moreover, community-driven projects such as twinBASIC and Rubberduck are actively modernizing the VBA experience, further extending its lifespan. 

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, encapsulates the company’s broader philosophy toward legacy and innovation: “Longevity in this business is about being able to reinvent yourself or invent the future”4. This mindset, which embraces both tradition and transformation, supports the notion that VBA, as a proven automation solution, will persist as long as it continues to empower users and organizations to achieve more—even as Microsoft evolves its platforms and tools for a new era6.

1. https://www.reddit.com/r/vba/comments/12qbgcw/whats_the_future_of_vba/
2. https://skillcourse.in/is-excel-vba-still-worth-learning/
3. https://www.thespreadsheetguru.com/are-vba-macros-dead/
4. https://jdmeier.com/satya-nadella-quotes/
5. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-to-computer-science-students-all-of-us-are-going-to-be-more-/articleshow/121691157.cms
6. https://economictimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadellas-letter-to-shareholders-we-were-founded-in-1975-with-a-belief-/articleshow/114837362.cms
7. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/future-of-excel-vba-macros/03889bc1-7e12-4e93-bc85-c1401c63149d
8. https://datacheckin.com/blog/why-wont-vba-just-go-away/
9. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/discussions/excelgeneral/will-vba-be-obsolete-from-excel/4137013
10. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8925403/excel-vba-refresh-wait
11. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38271155
12. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/15424914.Satya_Nadella
13. https://www.crmsoftwareblog.com/2018/04/top-quotes-from-microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella/
14. https://x.com/chandrarsrikant/status/1771037643784196537
15. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/benefits-excel-vba-solutions-businesses-excellerators
16. https://www.senacea.co.uk/post/excel-vba-consulting-business-impact
17. https://anthonydgreen.net/2020/03/19/part-v-an-open-letter-to-microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-on-the-matter-of-his-words-and-the-company-he-leads/
18. https://www.solsyst.com/post/2017/11/15/7-cloud-quotes-from-microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-60195
19. https://jdmeier.com/satya-nadella-on-how-the-key-to-longevity-is-to-be-a-learning-organization/
20. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/29/satya-nadella-says-as-much-as-30percent-of-microsoft-code-is-written-by-ai.html