Should You Move Your VB6 App to C# or Blazor? Let’s Talk About It.
by DeeDee Walsh, on Nov 9, 2025 2:40:11 PM
If you’re still running a Visual Basic 6.0 application… first of all, God bless you. VB6 had a great run, but it turned 27 and officially crossed over into vintage tech territory. At this point, running your business on VB6 is like relying on a fax machine and hoping it doesn’t jam.
So, the question becomes: What do you migrate to?
Two paths come up again and again:
- C# .NET (WinForms) — the “modern desktop” path
- Blazor Web — the “modern web/cloud” path
Both are great. Neither is perfect. And the best choice depends on your business, your team, and whether your users are chained to Windows machines or roaming the world with laptops and iPads.
Let’s compare them:
VB6 Migration Comparison Table
| Feature / Consideration | Option 1: C# .NET (Desktop / WinForms) | Option 2: Blazor Web (Web / Cloud) |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Desktop app (Windows-only). Installed on each machine. | Web app (cross-platform). Runs in a browser. |
| Code Similarity to VB6 | High. Very similar event-driven form model. UI maps easily. | Moderate — Business logic carries over, but UI requires rethinking in Razor/HTML/CSS. |
| Development Team Skillset | C# + WinForms. Easier for traditional .NET devs. | C#, plus real web skills (HTML/CSS/JS) Higher learning curve for legacy dev teams. |
| Deployment & Maintenance | Installer packages, versioning headaches, desktop support tickets forever. | Deploy once to server→ everyone gets updates instantly. No client installs. |
| User Experience (UX) | Familiar Windows look. Great for data-heavy internal apps. | Modern UI, responsive layout, browser-native. Better for web/mobile users. |
| Accessibility & Reach | Only works where installed. No mobile or tablet | Works anywhere there’s a browser. Perfect for distributed/remote users. |
| Scalability | Limited to individual machine performance. | Automatically scales in the cloud for larger workloads. |
| Long-Term Viability | Solid tech, but desktop is a shrinking world. | Fully aligned with Microsoft’s cloud + cross-platform future. |
| Cost Implications | Cheaper up front, more expensive to maintain long-term. | Higher initial setup, lower support + deployment cost long-term. |
So Which One Should You Pick?
Choose C# .NET (WinForms) if:
- Your users are internal and on Windows anyway
- Your workflows are complex and desktop-heavy
- You want the fastest, least-disruptive migration path
This is the “don’t rock the boat” choice. It works. It’s proven. And it buys you time.
Choose Blazor if:
- You need to support remote employees, partners, or customers
- Mobile or tablet access matters
- You want to modernize the experience, not just the code
- Future-proofing and cloud integration matter
This is the “we’re actually evolving” choice.
Or… do both.
Yes, really. A hybrid approach means:
- Move business logic into shared C# libraries now
- Use it in WinForms today
- Use it in Blazor later when your org is ready
This spreads cost, change, training, and risk over time, not all at once.
Here's My Take
If your business is:
- Stable
- Internal-facing
- Not trying to grow or change much
→ WinForms is fine.
If your business is:
- Adding new customers
- Onboarding distributed teams
- Modernizing infrastructure
→ Blazor is where you’re going anyway so you may as well plan for it.
The real question isn’t just “Which tech is better?”
It’s: “Are we optimizing for comfort or for growth?”
That’s the conversation to have.
