Debt Snowball vs Avalanche Calculator
Which pays off debt faster — snowball or avalanche?
With the same money in each month they finish almost together — the real difference is interest: avalanche (highest rate first) never costs more than snowball (smallest balance first), which instead clears its first account sooner. On this page’s three sample debts with $50 extra a month, snowball takes 2 yrs 5 mths and $2,107 of interest against 2 yrs 5 mths and $1,938 for avalanche — $169 apart.
Put in your debts, add whatever extra you can pay each month, and see both plans side by side: how long each takes and how much interest each one costs you. Free, nothing to install, nothing saved anywhere.
Your debts
Minimum payment is what the lender requires each month. If you are not sure, credit cards are usually 1–3% of the balance or a fixed floor such as $25 — use the number on your statement.
Extra payment
This is the number that does the work. Even $50 changes the picture — try it.
Side by side
Snowball
Smallest balance first. Slower on paper, but you clear whole debts early, and that is what keeps most people going.
Avalanche
Highest interest rate first. Mathematically cheapest, always. The first debt can take a while to fall.
Snowball, avalanche or your own order — a month-by-month payoff plan with a debt-free date and the interest you save
See the spreadsheet → $9.99Which method should you pick?
Avalanche always costs less in interest — that is arithmetic, not opinion. But the gap is often smaller than people expect, and the snowball gives you a finished debt sooner, which is the thing that stops people quitting in month four. Run both above with your real numbers: if avalanche saves you a few hundred over several years, take the method you will actually stick to. If it saves thousands, take the maths.
How this calculator works
Each month it adds interest at your APR ÷ 12, pays every minimum, then throws the whole extra payment at one target debt — the smallest balance for snowball, the highest rate for avalanche. When a debt is cleared, its minimum payment rolls into the extra, so the payment grows as you go. That rolling payment is the entire idea behind both methods.
It assumes the rates and minimums stay as you entered them and that you add no new debt. Nothing you type here is stored or sent anywhere — the calculation runs in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is the debt snowball or the avalanche better?
The avalanche always costs less in interest because it clears your most expensive rate first. The snowball clears whole debts sooner, which is why more people finish with it. Run both with your own numbers: if the interest gap is small, take the method you will stick to.
Does this calculator store my debts?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing is sent to us, saved, or shared.
What is a minimum payment?
The amount your lender requires each month. On credit cards it is usually 1–3% of the balance or a fixed floor such as $25 — the exact figure is on your statement.
Why does my payoff never finish?
If the minimum payment is smaller than the monthly interest, the balance grows no matter how long you pay. The calculator tells you when that happens; the fix is a larger payment or a lower rate.
