Debt payoff calculator: snowball vs avalanche
Enter up to four debts and one number for extra monthly payment. The calculator runs both classic payoff orders — snowball (smallest balance first) and avalanche (highest interest rate first) — and shows the time and total interest for each, so the trade-off stops being abstract.
Which order actually wins?
Mathematically, the avalanche order never loses — money aimed at the highest rate always cancels the most interest. But payoff plans fail for human reasons, not math reasons, and the snowball’s early wins are real fuel. The honest answer: the best method is the one you’ll still be following in month eight.
Related reading
Start with which debt to pay off first for the reasoning in plain English, then the debt snowball method and the debt avalanche method for each system step by step. Weighing a consolidation loan instead? See does debt consolidation always save money.
Sources & further reading
This tool is general education, not personalized financial advice. It assumes fixed rates and payments and ignores fees — real accounts vary. See our disclaimer.