The Future of VBA in Canada: Is It Still Relevant in 2025?

In 2025, when Canadians talk about automation, the big names usually come up—Power Automate, Python, AI, and cloud platforms. One tool that rarely makes the conversation? VBA (Visual Basic for Applications). For many, it feels outdated—something from a previous tech era.

But step into a finance team in Toronto, a government office in Ottawa, or an energy company in Calgary, and you’ll likely find VBA still running quietly in the background. It may not be flashy, but it’s still automating critical tasks: generating reports, cleaning up messy data, and powering custom Excel functions. And the best part? It does all this quickly, reliably, and at no additional cost.

Here’s the paradox: VBA doesn’t trend on LinkedIn, it won’t be featured at Canadian tech conferences, and it won’t make headlines in the news. But when a tight deadline arrives or a large dataset needs to be cleaned, VBA is often the dependable tool that saves the day.
 

This article isn’t about claiming VBA is Canada’s future automation tool. Instead, it’s about giving VBA the recognition it deserves in 2025—while also understanding how it fits alongside modern tools like Power Automate and Python.

Why People Think VBA Is Outdated

If you’ve been following Canadian tech circles or business blogs, you’ve probably seen claims that VBA is “dead.” The arguments often sound like this:

• The Rise of Power Automate: Microsoft continues to invest heavily in Power Automate and Power Apps, which are modern, cloud-ready, and designed for ease of use.
• Python’s Growth: With libraries like Pandas and NumPy, Python has become the go-to for analysts, researchers, and data engineers.
• Shift to Cloud: As Canadian businesses move workflows online, desktop-only tools like VBA can feel out of place.

At first glance, these points make sense. But in reality, what’s popular doesn’t always equal what’s practical—especially in the Canadian business landscape.

Why VBA Still Matters in Canada in 2025

Despite newer alternatives, VBA continues to thrive across Canadian industries for some very practical reasons:

• It’s Already Everywhere
  Canadian businesses—whether banks, logistics firms, or healthcare providers—still rely heavily on Excel with VBA. Rebuilding these systems in Power Automate or Python requires time, budget, and skills many organizations don’t have. 
  Example: A logistics company in Vancouver uses a VBA macro to auto-generate shipment schedules every morning. Migrating this workflow to Power Automate would take months. The VBA macro? It runs in seconds, flawlessly, every day.
   
• Excel-Friendly Learning Curve
  Canada has a workforce deeply familiar with Excel. VBA is the natural step up for professionals who want to automate without diving into advanced coding. For accountants, analysts, and administrators, it’s an approachable way to gain automation skills.
   
• Offline Dependability
  Not all industries in Canada can rely on stable internet—think mining operations in Northern Ontario, forestry in British Columbia, or remote energy projects. VBA works offline, making it a dependable solution in areas where cloud tools can’t always keep up.
   
• Cost-Effective
  VBA comes bundled with Microsoft Office, which most Canadian businesses already use. No additional licenses, no hidden expenses—making it especially appealing for SMBs and government departments working within tight budgets.

The Balanced Outlook

So, should Canadian professionals still bet on VBA in 2025? The short answer: Yes—with perspective.
 

• For everyday Excel users: VBA is a game-changer, saving hours on repetitive work.
• For long-term growth: VBA alone isn’t enough. Pairing it with Power Automate, Python, or SQL ensures you’re future-ready while still leveraging VBA’s strengths.

Think of it like driving a manual transmission car. Automatics (like Power Automate) dominate Canadian roads today, but if you know how to handle stick shift, you’ve got added control and flexibility.

Final Thoughts

For more than a decade, people have predicted the “end of VBA.” Yet in 2025, VBA is still alive and well in Canadian industries—finance, government, healthcare, logistics, and energy.

Is VBA the future of automation? Likely not.
Is VBA still relevant in Canada? Definitely.
 

If you’re new, start by recording a macro and exploring the code—you’ll see immediate time savings. If you’re advanced, push further with custom functions. And if you’re building a career in automation, balance VBA with modern tools. In Canada’s competitive job market, being skilled in both “old reliable” and “new exciting” makes you twice as valuable.

 

Editor’s Note

At Excelgoodies, we support Canadian professionals in bridging the gap between Excel and advanced automation. Our program, Microsoft Excel Reporting: Business Reporting & Model Building, helps turn spreadsheets into insights.

👉 Explore our course: Excel VBA Macro Programming and take your first step toward becoming an Excel power user.

Courtesy: Excelgoodies Power Users.

 

VBA & Python