Add $100 more per month
Total extra: $100 / month
2 yr 10 mo
$1,915 less interest than your selected plan
Debt payoff comparison calculator
Highest interest first, or smallest balance first? Give both strategies the same budget. See the payoff timeline, interest cost, and exactly where your money goes.
Use balances, APRs and required payments from your latest statements. The numbers below are examples.
Optional. Keep these at $0 if you only want to redirect payments as debts are paid off.
Paid at month 12, then every 12 months.
Paid before the first month of interest. Unused cash is not counted as a debt payment.
Starting monthly payoff budget
$465.00
$465.00 required payments + $0.00 extra. Both strategies keep this money working until all debts are paid.
Same starting budget. Two payoff strategies.
Avalanche saves $101 in interest
That is the difference between the two strategies—not savings against doing nothing. Both start with $465.00 per month, plus the same one-time and yearly extras.
Total debt today
$14,700
3 outstanding debts
Monthly payoff budget
$465.00
Freed payments stay in the plan.
Extra cash paid today
$0
Limited to the debt you actually owe.
Highest rate first
Extra money targets the highest current APR. Aims to reduce interest costs.
Estimated time to debt-free
3 yr 9 mo
In 45 months
Total interest
$6,201
First debt paid off
Month 22
Smallest balance first
Extra money targets the smallest remaining balance. Creates early payoff milestones.
Estimated time to debt-free
3 yr 10 mo
In 46 months
Total interest
$6,302
First debt paid off
Month 22
This is a different-budget reference—not a third equal-budget strategy. Each debt receives only its modeled minimum. Its payment stops when that debt is paid off.
Time to pay off
4 yr 8 mo
Total interest
$6,865
Your selected plan saves
$664
Interest difference versus this minimum-only reference.
These are estimated finish dates. Minimums still go to every outstanding debt, even while extra money targets one debt.
Small loan
$105 interest in total
Month 22
Personal loan
$1,112 interest in total
Month 41
Credit card
$4,983 interest in total
Month 45
Solid purple is avalanche; dashed green is snowball. Matching paths can overlap—check the exact amounts with the slider.
These scenarios use Avalanche, keep the same debts and other extras, and change only the monthly extra payment.
Total extra: $100 / month
2 yr 10 mo
$1,915 less interest than your selected plan
Total extra: $250 / month
2 yr 1 mo
$3,241 less interest than your selected plan
2 yr 4 mo
$3,297 interest in total
Your main plan stays unchanged.
Sum of each debt’s modeled first required payment.
This budget stays available when debts disappear. Future higher required minimums may increase it.
For each balance after today’s one-time payment: balance × APR ÷ 12. Each result is rounded to cents.
Required amounts go to every debt first. Remaining budget goes to the highest APR or smallest balance. No debt is overpaid.
$14,700.00 starting balance + $229.00 interest − $465.00 payment.
See each debt’s payment, not just a final total. Month 0 is the one-time payment today; month 1 is the first regular payment.
| Month | Credit card | Small loan | Personal loan | Total paid | Interest | Still owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $14,700.00 |
| 1 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $229.00 | $14,464.00 |
| 2 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $225.92 | $14,224.92 |
| 3 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $222.79 | $13,982.71 |
| 4 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $219.61 | $13,737.32 |
| 5 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $216.38 | $13,488.70 |
| 6 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $213.11 | $13,236.81 |
| 7 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $209.79 | $12,981.60 |
| 8 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $206.41 | $12,723.01 |
| 9 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $202.98 | $12,460.99 |
| 10 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $199.50 | $12,195.49 |
| 11 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $195.97 | $11,926.46 |
| 12 | $255.00 | $60.00 | $150.00 | $465.00 | $192.37 | $11,653.83 |
CSV includes all modeled months and your assumptions. Save it somewhere private.
Interest is estimated monthly as APR ÷ 12 on the starting balance and rounded to cents. Actual lenders may use daily balances, different minimum formulas and different payment dates. This is not a payoff quote.
Both strategies use the same starting budget. Extra annual payments begin in month 12; the one-time payment is applied today. Avalanche follows the highest current APR. Snowball follows the smallest remaining balance. Freed payments roll forward immediately; unused money does not overpay debt.
The model assumes on-time payments and no new borrowing, fees or prepayment penalties. APR changes are forward-looking, not retroactive deferred interest. Student-loan income-driven payments and forgiveness are not modeled. Projections stop after 600 months, or earlier if a balance grows beyond the model’s safety limit; unfinished plans do not show a payoff date.
Choose a plan you can sustain. A lower modeled interest cost is only one factor; emergency needs and your actual lender terms matter. Research reviewed September 17, 2026.
Planning estimate, not a quote, approval, tax calculation, or promise of returns.
Both pay the required amount on every outstanding debt. Avalanche directs extra money to the highest current APR; snowball targets the smallest remaining balance. Avalanche aims to reduce interest, while snowball can provide earlier small-balance milestones. This tool calculates both with the same starting budget so you can see the actual trade-off for your entries.
For both comparison strategies, that money stays in your monthly payoff budget and goes toward remaining debts. One-time cash is applied today before the first month's interest, and annual extras start in month 12. The minimum-only reference has no extra payments or rollover, so it is clearly labeled as a different-budget comparison.
This calculator estimates interest monthly using APR divided by 12 and rounds each debt's interest to cents. Card issuers may use daily balances, different billing dates or minimum-payment formulas. New borrowing, fees, prepayment penalties, income-driven payments and loan forgiveness are not included. Use your lender's current payoff quote before making a final payment.
Yes. Each debt can use a fixed required payment or a percentage of its balance after interest with a minimum floor. You can also enter a new APR that starts after a chosen number of months. This is not retroactive deferred interest. If required payments exceed the initial budget, the model raises payments and shows a warning. Debts not repaid within the model limit retain a visible balance rather than a false payoff date.