Snowball or avalanche — how fast you get to zero, and what it costs.
Debt-free in
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Total interest paid
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Starting balance
Payoff order
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APR
Paid off
A simplified month-by-month simulation using a fixed rate and payment. Real cards and loans may vary rates, add fees, or change minimum payments — check your actual statements.
How this works
Each month: pay the minimum on every debt, then send every spare dollar —
extra payment plus the minimums freed up by debts already cleared — at the target debt.
Snowball targets the smallest balance; avalanche targets the highest rate.
Avalanche minimises total interest paid — it always saves the same or more than snowball, mathematically.
Snowball clears a whole debt fastest, which some people find more motivating and easier to stick with.
Either way, once a debt is cleared its minimum payment rolls into the next target — that "freed up" money is what makes payoff accelerate.
Extra payments matter more than the strategy choice: an extra $150/month typically cuts years off a multi-debt payoff regardless of order.
Currency
Amounts follow the currency selected above.
Snowball or avalanche — which is better?
Avalanche (highest interest rate first) always costs less in total interest. Snowball (smallest balance first) clears individual debts faster, which keeps some people more motivated to continue. If you will stick with either equally, avalanche saves more money.
What happens to a payment once a debt is paid off?
Its minimum payment gets added to what you are putting toward the next target debt, so your total monthly payment stays the same but more of it attacks the remaining balance — this is what makes payoff speed up over time.
Should I include my mortgage here?
Most debt payoff plans exclude mortgages and focus on higher-rate consumer debt — credit cards, personal loans, car loans. A mortgage is usually a much lower rate and better handled with the mortgage calculator.