Debt Payoff Calculator
Snowball vs avalanche, head to head. Add your debts, set the extra payment you can afford, and see which method actually gets you out fastest and which saves the most interest.
Live · Snowball vs. avalanche Debt Payoff Calculator
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Above minimum payments
Real minimum payments shift a little as balances drop. This calculator holds minimums flat for clarity. Actual payoff timeline may move a few months either way.
Snowball vs. Avalanche: Which Is Better?
The snowball pays off debts from smallest balance to largest, no matter the interest rate. You make minimums on everything and throw every extra dollar at the smallest balance. When that one dies, you roll its full payment onto the next-smallest. The first win lands fast, which is the whole point.
The avalanche targets the highest interest rate first, no matter the balance. You make minimums on everything and send every extra dollar at the highest-rate debt. The math says this saves the most interest and usually finishes a few months earlier. Your specific debt mix sets the margin.
The avalanche is mathematically optimal and saves the most money. The snowball is psychologically powerful and keeps people in the game. Research keeps showing motivation beats optimization. Pick the method you will actually stick with for two years. The best payoff plan is the one you do not abandon in month three.
Even $50 to $100 a month above the minimum can knock years off the payoff. Route windfalls, tax refunds, bonuses, gifts, straight to principal before they get spent. The calculator shows what each extra-payment level does. Pick the largest one you can hold for two years.