List your debts, add whatever extra you can pay each month, and see the snowball and avalanche strategies side by side — your debt-free date, the interest you'll pay, and exactly how much a plan saves you.
Getting out of debt is mostly a math problem wearing a motivation costume. This calculator handles the math: list every debt with its balance, interest rate, and minimum payment, tell it how much extra you can put toward debt each month, and it simulates your payoff month by month under the two most-used strategies — showing your debt-free date, the total interest you'll pay, and what the plan saves you versus paying minimums.
The comparison table shows both against the "minimums only" baseline, and the 🏆 marks the cheaper strategy. Often the difference between snowball and avalanche is smaller than people expect — in that case, pick whichever keeps you motivated. The difference that's never small is extra-payment vs. no extra payment.
Each simulated month: every debt accrues one month of interest (APR ÷ 12), every debt receives its minimum payment, and the extra payment plus any rolled-over minimums go to the strategy's current target. When a balance hits zero, the next debt in the order becomes the target. The chart shows your total balance falling under each approach, and the payoff-order lists show which debt dies when.
Snowball pays smallest balances first for quick psychological wins; avalanche pays highest interest rates first for the mathematically cheapest path. The calculator runs both on your actual debts so you can see the real dollar and month difference before choosing.
List each debt's balance, rate, and minimum payment, plus your total monthly budget, and the calculator simulates every month of payoff, showing the exact date each strategy gets you to zero.
Avalanche always wins on interest paid; snowball often wins on staying motivated. The gap between them on your numbers is the deciding fact, and the side-by-side comparison shows it plainly.
The calculator shows the minimums-only baseline, including the honest case where minimums cannot outrun the interest and the balance never resolves. Seeing that line is often what changes behavior.
Yes. Everything is computed in your browser, so your balances and rates are never uploaded, stored, or turned into marketing leads.