Snowball vs avalanche calculator.
Same debts, same monthly budget, two orders. See which one finishes first, how much interest each costs, and when the first balance hits zero, so you can pick the method you will actually stick with.
On top of every minimum ($525). Your monthly budget: $725
Avalanche saves $126 in interest, and both finish the same month. Snowball clears its first debt in 6 mo versus 1 yr 9 mo.
Snowball
Snowball- 01Store card$1,200 · $62 interestmonth 6
- 02Credit card$6,400 · $2,066 interestmonth 23
- 03Car loan$9,800 · $1,110 interestmonth 29
Avalanche
Avalanche- 01Credit card$6,400 · $1,677 interestmonth 21
- 02Store card$1,200 · $331 interestmonth 23
- 03Car loan$9,800 · $1,106 interestmonth 29
Debtless shows both dates side by side and lets you change your mind without redoing the math.
Side by side.
| Snowball | Avalanche | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus debt | Smallest balance | Highest interest rate |
| Total interest | Higher | Lowest possible |
| Time to finish | Same or slightly longer | Same or slightly shorter |
| First win | Sooner, often within months | Later if the top-rate debt is large |
| Best when | You need momentum, rates are similar | Rates are far apart, you trust the plan |
| Popularised by | Dave Ramsey | Personal finance math |
How to choose.
Look at the verdict above. If the avalanche saves less than a month or a couple hundred dollars, the methods are effectively tied and the snowball's early win is worth more than the math. If it saves a year or a few thousand dollars, that is usually because one debt carries a much higher rate, and that debt deserves to go first no matter its size.
Whichever you choose, the mechanics are identical: minimums on everything, extra on the focus debt, roll each finished payment into the next. Build the plan in the snowball calculator or the avalanche calculator, or keep both in the free spreadsheet.
Keep going.
Smallest balance first. See your payoff order and debt-free date.
Highest interest rate first. The order that costs the least.
How long until zero, and what an extra $50 a month does to the date.
Excel and Google Sheets template with a month-by-month schedule.
The same plan, kept for you.
Debtless does this math from the payments you log and moves the date every month. Free on iPhone.
One card, one number, one day you hit zero.
Pick the order, see the date move, switch any time.
Answers with your real balances, rates and budget.
Questions, answered.
Your debt‑free date is closer than you think.
Add your debts, pick a strategy, and watch the date move.
Free on the App Store