Two proven ways to kill debt — which one wins with your numbers? Enter your debts, add whatever extra you can throw at them each month, and watch both strategies race to zero, month by month.
Up to 5 debts. Results update as you type.
Smallest balance first — knock out debts fast, build momentum.
Payoff order
Highest interest rate first — starve the most expensive debt.
Payoff order
Total balance remaining, month by month, under each strategy.
You pay the minimum on every debt, then throw every extra dollar at the debt with the smallest balance — no matter its interest rate. When it's gone, its payment rolls into the next smallest. The wins come fast, and that momentum is what keeps a lot of people going.
Same setup — minimums on everything — but every extra dollar attacks the debt with the highest APR first. That debt is costing you the most per month, so killing it first means you pay the least total interest. It's the mathematically cheapest route.
Avalanche almost always costs less. Snowball almost always feels better early on. Run your numbers above: if the interest difference is small, pick snowball for the motivation. If avalanche saves you hundreds, let the math win. The best plan is the one you'll still be following in month six.
When a debt dies, you don't spend its old minimum payment — you add it to your extra payment and aim the whole amount at the next target. Your total monthly budget never changes, but the punch aimed at one debt keeps growing. That's the snowball (and the avalanche) getting bigger as it rolls.
Then that balance grows even while you pay — the calculator flags any debt in that spot. It can still be beaten if it's your current target and your extra payment covers the gap, but the real fix is raising the payment or calling the lender about a lower rate or hardship plan.
No new charges on any debt, payments made on time every month, and APRs that stay fixed. It's a battle plan, not a guarantee — but it's the same math either way, so the comparison between the two strategies is fair.
For education only — not financial advice. Figures are estimates from the numbers you enter.