Debt Snowball vs. Avalanche Calculator

Free · no sign-up · reviewed September 2026

When you owe on more than one card or loan, the minimums keep you running in place. The money that actually gets you out is whatever you can pay above them — and the only real decision is which debt that extra money attacks first.

Put in up to six debts and this shows both answers side by side: avalanche (highest rate first, cheapest) and snowball (smallest balance first, fastest first win), with the month each debt disappears and what each plan costs in interest.

Drag to adjust

Your numbers

How many debts?

Debt 1 · balance

Enter them in any order — the calculator works out the payoff order for you.

Debt 1 · rate (APR)

Debt 1 · minimum payment

Debt 2 · balance

Debt 2 · rate (APR)

Debt 2 · minimum payment

Debt 3 · balance

Debt 3 · rate (APR)

Debt 3 · minimum payment

Extra payment / month

Everything you can pay above the minimums. This single number decides how fast you're free — the method only decides the order.

Which order?

Debt-free in

3 yr 2 mo

Avalanche (highest rate first) · $710/mo on $19,800 of debt

💡 Avalanche is the cheaper plan here: $438 less interest. Snowball's payoff is a different currency — it clears your first debt in month 8 instead of month 22, and the plan you actually finish beats the one that's theoretically optimal.

$6,665

Total interest

$510 of minimums + $200 extra

Month 22

First debt gone

Debt 1

$438

This order saves

vs. the other method

NowMo 20Mo 38

Avalanche$0
Snowball$0

1. Debt 1 — $6,200 at 24.99%: Gone in month 22
2. Debt 2 — $2,100 at 6.50%: Gone in month 24
3. Debt 3 — $11,500 at 18.90%: Gone in month 38
Total monthly payment: $710
Total interest: $6,665
Total you'll pay: $26,465
Interest the other way (snowball): $7,103 · 3 yr 2 mo

🎯 Payoff order — Avalanche (highest rate first)

Every minimum gets paid every month. Whatever is left over goes to one debt at a time, and each minimum that frees up rolls onto the next debt in the queue. Switch to Month by month to step through the plan itself.

#	Debt	Balance	APR	Minimum	Paid off	Interest
1	Debt 1	$6,200	24.99%	$155	Month 22	$1,587
2	Debt 2	$2,100	6.50%	$95	Month 24	$143
3	Debt 3	$11,500	18.90%	$260	Month 38	$4,935
	All debts	$19,800		$510	3 yr 2 mo	$6,665

Assumes the rates and minimums stay where they are, you add no new debt, and you keep paying $710 every month even as debts disappear. Interest is charged monthly on the remaining balance.

Debt Snowball vs. Avalanche Calculator · Far Better Off

https://farbetteroff.com/calculators/debt-snowball-calculator

Open that link to get this calculator back with these exact numbers. Estimates for education only — Far Better Off is not a lender or a financial advisor, and these results are not financial advice.

The 2-minute guide

Avalanche is cheaper, snowball is easier

Avalanche targets the highest APR, so every extra dollar kills the most expensive interest and the total cost comes out lowest. Snowball targets the smallest balance, so you clear a whole debt sooner and the number of bills drops. The CFPB describes both and doesn't crown a winner, because the one you actually stick to is the one that works.

The rolling payment is the engine

When a debt is gone, don't pocket its minimum. Add it to what you're paying on the next debt. That's why both methods speed up over time: the monthly payment stays flat while the number of debts shrinks. Stop rolling it forward and the plan stretches out by months.

Cut a rate and both plans get shorter

A 0% balance-transfer offer or a lower-rate consolidation loan changes the inputs, not just the order. Drop a 25% card to 0% for 18 months and watch the payoff date here move. Check the transfer fee and the date the promo rate ends before you count on it.

Don't starve the minimums

Missing a minimum triggers late fees and can push a card to a penalty APR, which undoes more than the method ever saves. Fund every minimum first; the extra payment is what's left after that.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between the debt snowball and the debt avalanche?

Both pay every minimum each month and throw all spare money at one debt. The avalanche picks the debt with the highest interest rate, which costs the least overall. The snowball picks the smallest balance, which clears a debt soonest and gives you a visible win. Same monthly payment, different order.

Which method pays off debt faster?

The avalanche is never slower or more expensive in pure math, because it kills the costliest interest first. But the gap is often smaller than people expect — sometimes a few hundred dollars — and the snowball's first payoff usually lands months earlier. This calculator shows both numbers for your actual debts, so you can see whether the difference is worth it to you.

Does the snowball ever cost the same as the avalanche?

Yes. If your smallest balance also happens to carry your highest rate, both methods pick the same order and the results are identical. The calculator says so when that happens.

What counts as the minimum payment?

Whatever your statement says is due: for a credit card it's usually around 1% to 3% of the balance plus interest, with a floor near $25 to $40; for an installment loan it's the fixed monthly payment. Enter the number you're actually required to pay. The calculator holds it steady rather than shrinking it with the balance, which matches how most people pay.

Should I stop investing to pay off debt?

Get the full employer 401(k) match first — that's an instant return nothing else matches. Beyond that, high-rate debt is the better guaranteed return: paying off a 24% card beats any expected market return you can count on. Low-rate debt, like a 4% student loan, is a closer call.

What if the calculator says 'never'?

It means the minimums plus your extra payment don't outrun the interest, so the balances grow. That's a signal to lower a rate — a 0% balance transfer, a consolidation loan, or a hardship plan from the lender — or to talk to a nonprofit credit counselor, rather than to pay harder.

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