Tool
Debt payoff calculator: snowball vs avalanche
Enter your debts and see the months to debt-free and total interest for the snowball method (smallest balance first) and the avalanche method (highest rate first), side by side. Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.
About these numbers
- Educational comparison only — not financial advice; which method to use is your decision.
- Assumes fixed rates, on-time monthly payments, and no new charges.
- Both methods roll each cleared debt's payment into the next debt.
Keep it updated automatically
Forth Arc puts your accounts, liabilities, and goals on one live balance sheet — with the same math engines behind this calculator — free.
Create a free accountSnowball vs avalanche — what's the difference?
Both methods pay every minimum, put any extra toward one target debt, and roll each cleared debt's payment into the next. The snowball targets the smallest balance first, producing quick early wins; the avalanche targets the highest interest rate first, which minimizes total interest paid. This page shows both outcomes from your real numbers so you can weigh the trade-off yourself.
Is my data stored?
No. Nothing you type is sent to or stored on our servers.
Common questions
What is the difference between snowball and avalanche?
Snowball directs extra payments at the smallest balance first, closing individual accounts sooner. Avalanche directs them at the highest APR first, which usually reduces the total interest paid. This page shows the debt-free date and total interest for both, side by side, so you can weigh the trade-off yourself.
Why do the two methods show different total interest?
Because they retire balances in a different order. Money aimed at a higher-APR balance stops more interest from accruing each month than the same money aimed at a lower-APR balance, so the ordering changes the lifetime interest total even though the monthly budget is identical.
How much does an extra monthly payment change things?
Every extra dollar goes entirely to principal, which shortens the payoff timeline and reduces the interest that would have accrued on that principal. Use the slider to see the exact dates and totals at different extra amounts.