Snowball vs. Avalanche Calculator
Enter your debts, set your extra payment, and see which strategy gets you debt-free faster — and which saves you the most money.
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Snowball vs. Avalanche: what the math says.
The debt avalanche method targets your highest-interest debt first. Mathematically, this always saves you the most money because you eliminate the most expensive debt as fast as possible. Every dollar of extra payment goes directly against the balance that's generating the most interest.
The debt snowball method targets your smallest balance first, regardless of interest rate. You won't save as much on interest, but you'll eliminate individual debts faster — giving you psychological wins that keep you motivated. There's real research showing that people who use the snowball method are more likely to stick with their payoff plan.
The right choice depends on you. If the interest savings are small (under a few hundred dollars), go snowball — the motivation is worth it. If the avalanche saves you thousands, the math might be hard to ignore. Either way, having a strategy beats no strategy.