Debt Snowball & Avalanche Calculator
List every debt, add your extra monthly payment and compare snowball and avalanche payoff plans month by month.
What Is the Debt Snowball & Avalanche Calculator?
The Debt Snowball & Avalanche Calculator simulates both classic payoff strategies across all of your debts at once. Every debt keeps its minimum payment; the extra budget and each freed-up minimum roll into the target debt. Avalanche orders targets by highest APR to minimize interest, snowball orders by smallest balance for faster early wins, and the plan reports payoff time, total interest and the month each debt disappears.
How It Works
Enter each debt's name, balance, APR and minimum payment, then the extra amount you can pay monthly. The comparison updates instantly; toggle which strategy's payoff schedule is displayed.
When to Use It
Use it when juggling several balances to decide payment order, to see what an extra $100 or $500 per month really changes, or to check how long a budget takes to reach debt-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which Strategy Is Better?
- Avalanche always pays the least total interest. Snowball costs somewhat more but clears individual debts sooner, which many people find easier to stick with. The calculator shows the exact dollar difference so you can decide.
- What If My Budget Is Too Small?
- If minimums plus the extra payment do not cover the first month of interest, balances grow instead of shrinking and the tool says so rather than showing a misleading schedule.
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