Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Interest saved by avalanche
$0
Avalanche total interest
$4,752
Snowball total interest
$4,752
Avalanche months to debt-free
39
Snowball months to debt-free
39
Total monthly payment used
$780
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
Got your number — what next?
Pick one, it takes 20 secondsHow to use this
- 1Enter debt 1 balance ($).
- 2Enter debt 1 apr (%).
- 3Enter debt 1 minimum payment ($/mo).
- 4Enter debt 2 balance ($).
- 5Enter debt 2 apr (%).
- 6Enter debt 2 minimum payment ($/mo).
- 7Enter debt 3 balance ($).
- 8Enter debt 3 apr (%).
- 9Enter debt 3 minimum payment ($/mo).
- 10Enter extra payment above minimums ($/mo).
- 11Read your interest saved by avalanche on the right — it updates as you type.
- 12Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Two debts, one extra payment, two defensible orders. The avalanche method attacks the highest APR first and always wins on arithmetic; the snowball clears the smallest balance first and wins more often on follow-through, because an account closing early is a visible reward. This calculator runs both orders month by month across three balances using the same total monthly payment, so the only variable is sequencing. It reports total interest, total months, and the exact dollar cost of choosing motivation over math. If that gap is small — under a few hundred dollars — the behavioural argument for snowball is usually the stronger one.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Debt 1 balance: 2400 $
- Debt 1 APR: 24.9 %
- Debt 1 minimum payment: 60 $/mo
- Debt 2 balance: 8200 $
- Debt 2 APR: 17.5 %
- Debt 2 minimum payment: 180 $/mo
- Debt 3 balance: 15000 $
- Debt 3 APR: 7.9 %
- Debt 3 minimum payment: 240 $/mo
- Extra payment above minimums: 300 $/mo
Results
- Interest saved by avalanche: $0.00
- Avalanche total interest: $4,751.99
- Snowball total interest: $4,751.99
- Avalanche months to debt-free: 39
- Snowball months to debt-free: 39
- Total monthly payment used: $780.00
What each field means
Inputs
- Debt 1 balance ($)
- The debt 1 balance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 2400 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Debt 1 APR (%)
- The debt 1 apr used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 24.9 % so you have a working example on load.
- Debt 1 minimum payment ($/mo)
- The debt 1 minimum payment used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 60 $/mo so you have a working example on load.
- Debt 2 balance ($)
- The debt 2 balance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 8200 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Debt 2 APR (%)
- The debt 2 apr used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 17.5 % so you have a working example on load.
- Debt 2 minimum payment ($/mo)
- The debt 2 minimum payment used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 180 $/mo so you have a working example on load.
- Debt 3 balance ($)
- The debt 3 balance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 15000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Debt 3 APR (%)
- The debt 3 apr used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 7.9 % so you have a working example on load.
- Debt 3 minimum payment ($/mo)
- The debt 3 minimum payment used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 240 $/mo so you have a working example on load.
- Extra payment above minimums ($/mo)
- The extra payment above minimums used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 300 $/mo so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Interest saved by avalanche
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Avalanche total interest
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Snowball total interest
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Avalanche months to debt-free
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Snowball months to debt-free
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total monthly payment used
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Does avalanche always cost less?
In pure interest terms, yes — paying down the highest rate first minimises the interest accruing every month, and no other ordering can beat it. The gap is what varies: with rates close together it can be a rounding error, and with a 25% card sitting next to a 4% loan it can be thousands.
When is snowball the better choice?
When you have stalled before. Closing an account converts an abstract plan into a finished thing, and it frees that minimum payment permanently, which raises the payment applied to the next target. A method you finish beats a cheaper method you abandon in month five.
Should I keep paying minimums on everything?
Yes. Both orders assume every minimum is paid every month — missing one triggers late fees and penalty APRs that dwarf any sequencing gain, and it damages your credit file, which raises the cost of any future refinance.
What about a balance transfer or consolidation loan?
If you qualify for a materially lower rate, that beats either ordering, because it changes the rate rather than the order. Model the transfer fee (commonly 3-5% of the balance) as part of the new balance, and be certain you can clear it inside the promotional window.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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See the years and interest an extra monthly amount removes from a loan.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Debt Avalanche vs Snowball Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/debt-avalanche-vs-snowball
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/debt-avalanche-vs-snowball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Debt Avalanche vs Snowball Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Debt Avalanche vs Snowball Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/debt-avalanche-vs-snowball) (2026).