Debt payoff
Compare snowball and avalanche schedules across up to twenty debts with a fixed monthly budget, annual extras, multiple one-time payments and optional consolidation.
Avalanche debt-free date
Dec 2028
Avalanche payoff time
29 months
Avalanche interest
$3,928.87
Snowball payoff time
30 months
Snowball interest
$4,123.52
Fixed monthly budget
$810.00
Interest saved by avalanche
$194.65
Avalanche balance
Snowball balance
Payoff order
Highest APR first
Dated avalanche schedule
The total monthly budget stays fixed as individual debts are cleared.
| Date | Payment | Interest | Extra | Target | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | $810.00 | $279.09 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $18,969.09 |
| Sep 2026 | $810.00 | $269.68 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $18,428.77 |
| Oct 2026 | $810.00 | $260.09 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $17,878.85 |
| Nov 2026 | $810.00 | $250.32 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $17,319.17 |
| Dec 2026 | $810.00 | $240.36 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $16,749.54 |
| Jan 2027 | $810.00 | $230.22 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $16,169.75 |
| Feb 2027 | $810.00 | $219.88 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $15,579.63 |
| Mar 2027 | $810.00 | $209.34 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $14,978.97 |
| Apr 2027 | $810.00 | $198.60 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $14,367.57 |
| May 2027 | $810.00 | $187.66 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $13,745.22 |
| Jun 2027 | $810.00 | $176.51 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $13,111.73 |
| Jul 2027 | $810.00 | $165.14 | $0.00 | Credit card 1 | $12,466.87 |
Rates and minimums are held constant. New borrowing, promotional periods and lender-specific allocation can make real statements differ.
Calculation method
Interest is added to each active balance. Minimums are paid next, and the remaining monthly budget plus any scheduled extra goes to the current strategy target. The dated table records interest, payment, target debt and remaining balance.
Detailed guide
A multi-debt payoff calculator must preserve the monthly budget after each balance is cleared. This page accepts up to twenty named debts, adds their minimums and the monthly extra payment, then applies that same base budget until every balance is paid. Annual and one-time extras are added in their selected months.
The snowball method targets the smallest balance first. The avalanche method targets the highest APR first. Both keep required minimum payments on every other active debt. The comparison shows whether the strategies differ in payoff time and interest for your inputs.
Interest is added to each active balance. Minimums are paid next, and the remaining monthly budget plus any scheduled extra goes to the current strategy target. The dated table records interest, payment, target debt and remaining balance.
Avalanche normally minimizes modeled interest when rates are stable. Snowball may produce an earlier first payoff, which some users find easier to follow.
Decision guide
Top debt-payoff pages discuss early repayment, ordering methods, consolidation, and monthly budget. A valid comparison must use the same balances, rates, minimums, and total monthly payment for every strategy.
After paying every minimum, the avalanche method directs extra money to the highest rate. Under fixed assumptions it generally reduces interest efficiently. Promotional expirations and variable rates can change the correct order, so keep the inputs current.
The snowball method targets the smallest balance and can create visible progress sooner. It may cost more interest, but adherence matters. Compare the interest difference with the motivational value rather than assuming one method fits every borrower.
When one debt closes, roll its full payment into the next target. Reducing the budget after each payoff stretches the schedule. The chosen payment also needs to be sustainable after essential expenses and emergency saving.
A lower rate can help only after origination fees, term length, and secured-loan risk are considered. Do not compare rates alone. Enter the new total cost and avoid rebuilding balances on accounts that were paid off.
Save a baseline, then change only one input at a time: amount, rate, term, or recurring payment. Record the supporting outputs as well as the headline result—contributions, interest, total cost, remaining balance, or target date. This isolates the assumption that actually changes the decision instead of hiding it inside several simultaneous edits.
Do not tune every assumption until the calculator produces a preferred answer. Start with a cautious case, follow with a central case, and treat the favorable case as an upside scenario. A calculator result is not a lender quote, market forecast, or tax determination; actual dates, rounding, fees, contract rules, and required payments must be checked in primary documents.
Keep enough precision in the inputs and round only the output used for a decision. If the estimate supports a transaction, loan, tax calculation, or long-term plan, repeat it with figures from the contract or official statement. Any difference helps identify the assumption that still needs verification.
Do not compare strategies with different extra payments. The calculator uses one budget for both to isolate the ordering effect.
If every entered minimum fails to cover its balance’s interest and there is no usable extra payment, a payoff schedule cannot progress.
The optional scenario finances the entered fee with the balances and compares its payment and total cost with avalanche payoff.
Avalanche usually saves more because it attacks the highest rate first. The calculator shows the difference for the exact balances entered.
Its minimum payment remains inside the fixed monthly budget and rolls to the next priority debt.
This version supports three balances. You can combine small balances only if they share a rate, but a dedicated line for each debt is more accurate.
Yes. A longer term can lower the monthly payment while increasing total interest and fees. Compare both values.
These primary sources explain the rules and concepts referenced by this calculator. The calculation itself uses only the assumptions entered above.
Updated: August 1, 2026
Useful comparisons
Calculate fixed or declining payments, total interest and a downloadable amortization schedule.
Compare reducing the loan term with reducing the monthly payment.
Estimate a credit-card payoff date with a fixed payment, a declining minimum or the payment required for a target term, including promotional APR and new charges.