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
Extra interest cost of snowball
$283
Avalanche payoff
34
Avalanche total interest
$3,101
Snowball payoff
34
Snowball total interest
$3,384
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How to use this
- 1Enter debt 1 balance ($).
- 2Enter debt 1 apr (%).
- 3Enter debt 1 minimum ($/mo).
- 4Enter debt 2 balance ($).
- 5Enter debt 2 apr (%).
- 6Enter debt 2 minimum ($/mo).
- 7Enter debt 3 balance ($).
- 8Enter debt 3 apr (%).
- 9Enter debt 3 minimum ($/mo).
- 10Enter extra payment above minimums ($/mo).
- 11Read your extra interest cost of snowball on the right — it updates as you type.
- 12Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
The avalanche method pays the highest-rate debt first and always costs the least interest; the snowball method pays the smallest balance first and clears accounts sooner, which is why, research aside, many people actually finish with it. The honest question is not which is mathematically better — avalanche always is — but how big the gap actually is for your specific balances. Often it is a few hundred dollars, which is a fair price for momentum; sometimes it is thousands, which changes the answer. This calculator runs both orders month by month across up to four debts using the same total payment budget, so you see total interest, payoff date, and the exact cost of choosing motivation over math.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Debt 1 balance: 6200 $
- Debt 1 APR: 24.99 %
- Debt 1 minimum: 155 $/mo
- Debt 2 balance: 1800 $
- Debt 2 APR: 17.9 %
- Debt 2 minimum: 45 $/mo
- Debt 3 balance: 9500 $
- Debt 3 APR: 8.5 %
- Debt 3 minimum: 210 $/mo
- Extra payment above minimums: 300 $/mo
Results
- Extra interest cost of snowball: $283
- Avalanche payoff: 34
- Avalanche total interest: $3,101
- Snowball payoff: 34
- Snowball total interest: $3,384
What each field means
Inputs
- Debt 1 balance ($)
- The debt 1 balance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 6200 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–500000 $.
- Debt 1 APR (%)
- The debt 1 apr used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 24.99 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 %.
- Debt 1 minimum ($/mo)
- The debt 1 minimum used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 155 $/mo so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–10000 $/mo.
- Debt 2 balance ($)
- The debt 2 balance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1800 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–500000 $.
- Debt 2 APR (%)
- The debt 2 apr used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 17.9 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 %.
- Debt 2 minimum ($/mo)
- The debt 2 minimum used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 45 $/mo so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–10000 $/mo.
- Debt 3 balance ($)
- The debt 3 balance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 9500 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–500000 $.
- Debt 3 APR (%)
- The debt 3 apr used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 8.5 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 %.
- Debt 3 minimum ($/mo)
- The debt 3 minimum used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 210 $/mo so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–10000 $/mo.
- Extra payment above minimums ($/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. Accepted range: 0–20000 $/mo.
Results
- Extra interest cost of snowball
- 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 payoff
- Returned as a whole number. 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 payoff
- Returned as a whole number. 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.
FAQ
Which method should I pick?
If the extra interest cost shown here is small relative to your balances, pick whichever you will actually stick to. If it is large, avalanche is worth the discipline.
Do minimum payments change as balances fall?
On real cards they usually do. This model holds minimums fixed, which is slightly conservative in your favour — real payoff with fixed payments is a bit faster than card-issuer minimums allow.
What if a payment never covers the interest?
Then the balance grows forever. If your budget is below total interest, the tool will show a very long payoff — that is the signal to seek a hardship plan or nonprofit credit counselling.
Does paying debt down raise my credit score?
Usually yes, mainly through lower revolving utilization. Score effects vary by profile and are not guaranteed.
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.
Related tools
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-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/debt-avalanche-vs-snowball-calculator" 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-calculator) (2026).