What’s my fastest way out of debt? If you owe money on more than one card or loan, the order you pay them off in changes how much interest you pay — and how soon you are free. Enter your debts, the extra you can put toward them each month, and this calculator compares the two best-known strategies side by side: the avalanche (highest interest rate first) and the snowball (smallest balance first). It models the roll, so when a debt is paid off, its whole payment moves to the next target.
The avalanche almost always wins on interest. The snowball wins on motivation — clearing a small debt early gives you a visible win and frees up a payment sooner. This calculator shows you both, with real numbers, so you can choose with your eyes open.
Compare your payoff strategies
| Debt name | Balance ($) | APR (%) | Minimum payment ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
Leave rows empty for debts you don’t have. A debt with a $0 balance is ignored.
On top of all the minimum payments. This is the money that cascades to the target debt.
Methodology verified November 9, 2026
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
How the payoff strategies work
Every month, each debt is charged interest on its balance — balance times APR divided by 12, charged before any payment — and then its minimum payment is taken off. That is the same convention the Credit Card Payoff Calculator uses. Your extra amount, plus the minimum payments of any debts already paid off, is then added to the target debt: the highest APR for the avalanche, the smallest balance for the snowball. When the target is paid off, the whole amount rolls to the next target, so your total monthly payment stays the same until the last debt is gone.
The avalanche wins on interest because it attacks the most expensive debt first, so less interest accrues overall. The snowball wins on momentum: it clears the smallest debt first, which frees up that payment sooner and gives you an early win. If the two give the same total interest, pick the one whose payoff order feels more motivating — the best strategy is the one you will stick with.
Assumptions and methodology
Interest convention. Monthly interest is balance × APR / 12, applied before the payment each month — the same as the Credit Card Payoff Calculator. No new purchases, no fees, no rate changes and no missed payments are assumed.
The roll, modelled properly. Minimum payments are paid on every debt every month. The extra amount you enter is in addition to all the minimums. When a debt is paid off, its minimum payment is freed and added to the extra pool from the following month, and the whole pool cascades to the next target — this calculator simulates it month by month, it does not just sort the debts once.
Payment must cover the interest. If any debt’s minimum payment does not cover its first month’s interest, the balance would grow and the plan could never finish. This calculator refuses that input and names the debt, instead of showing a misleading timeline.
Privacy. This calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
Free spreadsheet twin
The Debt Payoff Spreadsheet — free download
Prefer a spreadsheet? This is the free spreadsheet twin of this calculator, built from the same 3-debt example above, so the spreadsheet and this page can never disagree. It runs the avalanche and snowball month by month, with the same interest convention and the same roll, in Excel or Google Sheets.
Download the spreadsheet (.xlsx)
Free to download, no email needed. The spreadsheet is our lead magnet — if we add an email list later, this is where it will live.
Frequently asked questions
Which strategy is better, avalanche or snowball?
On interest, the avalanche wins — it attacks the highest rate first, so less interest accrues. On motivation, the snowball wins — it clears the smallest debt first, giving you a quick win. Run both above: if the difference is small, pick the order you will actually stick with.
What is the roll?
When a debt is paid off, the money you were paying on it does not disappear — it rolls into the next target debt, on top of the extra amount. Your total monthly payment stays the same until the last debt is gone. This calculator models that month by month.
What if I can only pay the minimums?
Then there is no extra to cascade, and the two strategies give the same result — the debts are simply paid in minimum-payment order. Put any amount, even $25, in the extra box and you will see the payoff move sooner.
What if a minimum payment doesn’t cover the interest?
Then that debt’s balance would grow every month and the plan could never finish. This calculator refuses that input, names the debt, and tells you the minimum payment that would work.
Does this include new purchases or fees?
No. It assumes no new charges, no fees, no rate changes and no missed payments. New purchases will make the payoff take longer.
Related tools
Working on one card first? The Credit Card Payoff Calculator shows how long a single card takes at a fixed payment or on minimums. Need the payment on a loan before you add it here? The Loan Calculator works it out, with the full amortization table.