Snowball vs avalanche, side by side. Free, no signup — your numbers never leave your browser.
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Example numbers — edit them, or to start fresh.
Both debt-payoff methods start the same way: pay the minimum on every debt, then throw every spare dollar at one target debt until it's gone, then roll that freed-up money into the next one. The only thing they disagree on is which debt to target first — and that single choice changes your payoff date and how much interest you hand the bank.
The avalanche targets your highest interest rate first, so every extra dollar is always fighting your most expensive balance. On fixed rates it's mathematically the cheapest route — the comparison above shows exactly how much it saves on your numbers. The snowball targets your smallest balance first, so an entire account disappears sooner; behavioral research links that early win to people actually finishing what they started.
There's one twist this calculator handles that most don't: a 0% intro APR. Avalanche judges debts by their rate today, so it ignores a promo balance until the rate jumps — and if a lot is still owed at that cliff, snowball can quietly come out cheaper. Every figure here is computed in your browser from the same transparent, tested formula we document in the methodology. New to this? Start with Snowball vs. Avalanche, or read why you can trust these numbers.
Avalanche targets the highest-rate debt first, so it minimizes total interest. Snowball targets the smallest balance first, so it clears an entire account sooner — which behavioral research links to actually finishing. Neither is universally "better"; run both above with your real numbers and see how big the interest gap actually is for you. See Snowball vs. Avalanche for the full comparison.
Usually, but not always. Avalanche ranks debts by their current rate, so a 0% introductory promo looks like free money right now and gets deprioritized — even though the rate can jump sharply once the promo ends. If a lot of balance is still sitting there when it does, that flip can cost more than avalanche saved elsewhere, letting snowball win instead. See the methodology for exactly how promo rates are modeled.
The calculator switches that debt to its normal APR starting the very next month, and interest starts accruing on whatever balance is left — in full, with no grace period. The schedule marks the switch with a "promo expired" event so you can see exactly when it happens.
No. Everything is calculated in your browser — nothing you type is sent to a server. Your scenario is optionally saved to your own browser's storage so it's there next time, and that never leaves your device either. See the Privacy page for the full detail.
This calculator compounds interest once a month: balance × APR ÷ 12, rounded to the cent. Most card issuers instead compound daily off your average daily balance, which produces a slightly different — usually marginally higher — number. The gap is normally small but never exactly zero. See the methodology for the precise formula used here.
Yes. "Share this plan" encodes your whole scenario directly into the page's URL — nothing is uploaded anywhere. Anyone with the link can open it and see the same numbers, decoded entirely in their own browser.
A side-by-side comparison of the debt snowball and debt avalanche methods with a real worked example, the psychology research behind each, and the one case where snowball beats avalanche on cost.
GuideAPR versus the monthly rate you actually pay, why a minimum payment barely dents your balance, and what really happens when a 0% intro rate expires — worked with real numbers.
GuideA real marginal-impact table showing what an extra $25, $50, $100, and $200 a month actually does to your payoff time and total interest — plus the trap of paying too little.
GuideThe exact math behind this calculator: how interest accrues, how the monthly budget stays constant, how snowball and avalanche pick a target, and how 0% intro APRs are modeled — with a full worked example.
GuideHow paying down balances, closing cards, and clearing loans actually move a credit score — utilization, payment history, and the one payoff move that can quietly backfire.
GuideWhat a fixed monthly payment actually buys in months and interest on a $5,000 card — from the near-minimum trap to clearing it in a year — with a payment-by-payment table.
Thinking about consolidating? Try the debt consolidation calculator.