Office Scripts vs. VBA: Which to Choose

The same task, making a header bold and writing a sum, in two languages:

' VBA
Sub Totals()
    With Worksheets("Sheet1")
        .Range("A1:D1").Font.Bold = True
        .Range("D8").Formula = "=SUM(D2:D7)"
    End With
End Sub

// Office Scripts
function main(workbook: ExcelScript.Workbook) {
  const sheet = workbook.getWorksheet("Sheet1");
  sheet.getRange("A1:D1").getFormat().getFont().setBold(true);
  sheet.getRange("D8").setFormula("=SUM(D2:D7)");
}

	VBA	Office Scripts
Language	Visual Basic, properties: `.Value =`	TypeScript, methods: `getValue()` / `setValue()`
Where it runs	Desktop Excel (Windows, Mac)	Excel for the web, and desktop Excel with Microsoft 365
Where it's stored	Inside an .xlsm workbook	An .osts file in OneDrive; the workbook stays .xlsx
Automatic start	Events: `Workbook_Open`, `Worksheet_Change`	No workbook events; schedules and triggers come from Power Automate
User interface	UserForm, MsgBox, InputBox	No forms or dialogs; input comes from parameters or a table
Reach outside	Files on the computer, other Office apps	The workbook only; anything else goes through Power Automate actions
Indexes	`Cells(1, 1)` starts at one	`getCell(0, 0)`; arrays start at zero

How to choose. If you need forms, work with files on disk, or your company's existing macros, use VBA. If the workbook lives in the cloud, people use it in a browser, and you need scheduled runs and links to email, Teams or SharePoint, use Office Scripts with Power Automate. There is no automatic converter from VBA to Office Scripts. You rewrite the logic by hand, which is a good chance to simplify it.

The simulator doesn't run scripts. Run the code from the lesson in Excel on the web (Automate tab › Code Editor). Here you learn to read code and check yourself with formulas and a quiz.

6. Office Scripts vs. VBA: Which to Choose

Test yourself