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Debt Payoff Calculator – Snowball vs Avalanche Comparison
Compare two debt payoff strategies side-by-side: Snowball (smallest balance first, fastest psychological wins) vs Avalanche (highest APR first, lowest total interest). Add your debts, set an extra monthly amount, and see which strategy fits you best.
Add each of your debts. The calculator compares two payoff strategies: snowball (smallest balance first, fastest psychological wins) vs avalanche (highest APR first, lowest total interest). Both run on the same total monthly budget.
❄ Snowball
- Total months to debt-free
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- Total interest paid
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- Payoff order
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🏔 Avalanche
- Total months to debt-free
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- Total interest paid
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- Payoff order
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How It Works
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1
Add your debts
For each debt: name (Credit card, Car loan, etc.), current balance, APR, and the minimum monthly payment your lender requires.
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2
Set your extra budget
How much can you put toward debt above the sum of all minimums? Even $50 a month extra makes a huge difference.
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3
Compare strategies
Snowball and Avalanche cards show months to debt-free, total interest paid, and the order debts get paid off. The recommendation banner highlights which saves more interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which strategy is better?
Mathematically: avalanche always equals or beats snowball on total interest. Psychologically: snowball wins because seeing a debt fully paid off (even a small one) builds momentum. Studies suggest snowball has higher completion rates among real-world debtors.
Does my debt info stay private?
Yes. The list auto-saves to your browser localStorage only, never sent anywhere.
What if I cannot afford the minimums?
The calculator flags impossible-to-pay-off scenarios when minimum payments do not cover monthly interest. Solution: increase budget, or look at debt consolidation or negotiation.
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