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Debt Snowball vs Avalanche Calculator
Compare debt snowball and debt avalanche payoff orders using the same balances, minimum payments, and extra monthly budget.
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Methodology & Assumptions
How this estimate is calculated
Monthly comparison: nominal APR is divided by 12 and interest is added first. Required minimums are paid on every active debt. Remaining monthly capacity targets either the smallest current balance (snowball) or highest APR (avalanche), with original entry order breaking ties. Freed capacity rolls to the next target in the same month.
Illustrative result: figures are rounded for display after calculations use full numeric precision. Actual results may differ.
Currency: dollar symbols are a display convention. Enter every monetary amount in one consistent currency; the calculator does not convert currencies or apply jurisdiction-specific tax rules.
How to Use the Snowball vs Avalanche Comparison
Enter each current balance, nominal APR, and required monthly minimum. Add one extra monthly payoff budget. The calculator keeps the same total monthly budget for both methods so the comparison changes only the priority order.
Snowball targets the smallest current balance. Avalanche targets the highest APR. Both continue minimum payments on every active debt. For a detailed explanation of motivation, interest priority, ties, and rolled payments, read Debt Snowball vs Avalanche.
Monthly Timing and Rolled Payments
Each debt receives monthly interest using nominal APR divided by 12. Required minimums are then applied, capped at the amount due. Any remaining monthly capacity targets the selected priority. When that debt is cleared, unused capacity rolls to the next target immediately in the same month.
This same-month rollover keeps the fixed monthly budget conserved until the final payoff month. A final payment never exceeds the combined amount due. If total payment capacity does not produce payoff within 1,200 months, the page reports a non-convergent or unsupported scenario instead of a false payoff date.
Worked Snowball and Avalanche Example
Consider Card A at $3,000 and 24% APR with a $90 minimum, Card B at $1,200 and 8% APR with a $50 minimum, and a $7,000 loan at 12% APR with a $160 minimum. Add $200 extra, making the shared monthly budget $500.
| Method | Payoff order | Time | Interest | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowball | Card B → Card A → Loan | 27 months | $1,889.29 | $13,089.29 |
| Avalanche | Card A → Loan → Card B | 26 months | $1,722.44 | $12,922.44 |
In this illustrative case, avalanche is one month shorter and has $166.85 less modeled interest. That difference is specific to these inputs and does not establish a universal best method.
How to Interpret the Difference
Snowball may close a small account sooner, which some people find easier to maintain. Avalanche gives priority to the highest entered APR. The calculator cannot measure stress, motivation, cash-flow reliability, or whether a person will continue either plan.
A tie is valid. With one debt, both methods are identical. Equal balances or equal APRs use original entry order as a deterministic tie-breaker. At 0% APR, ordering can still change which account closes first, but total interest remains zero for those balances.
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Related Debt Tools
Use the Credit Card Payoff Calculator for one revolving balance with fixed-payment, target-period, or custom-minimum modes. Use the Loan Amortization Calculator for one standard term loan with recurring or one-time extra principal.
Common Mistakes and Limitations
Common mistakes include changing the budget between methods, stopping minimums on non-target debts, adding a freed minimum twice, sorting snowball by the original balance forever, or sorting avalanche by balance instead of APR. The model excludes fees, changing rates, daily interest, new borrowing, promotional periods, lender allocation rules, delinquency, collections, taxes, credit scores, qualification, and legal consequences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does avalanche always show lower interest?
Not necessarily in every edge case, and it is not a universal real-world guarantee. Under equal-budget simplified calculations, highest-APR priority commonly has lower modeled interest, but ties and special payment patterns can occur.
What happens when a debt is paid mid-month?
The unused part of that month's fixed budget rolls to the next selected target immediately. It is not held until the following month.
What if I enter zero extra payment?
The calculator uses the sum of minimum payments as the monthly budget. Ordering may still matter when a debt is cleared and unused minimum capacity rolls forward.
Which method should I choose?
The page provides a neutral comparison of time, interest, total paid, and payoff order. It does not make a universal recommendation; consider the arithmetic alongside a plan you can realistically maintain.