Minimums only
You pay only each lender’s minimum — nothing extra. Debts shrink slowly and you usually pay the most total interest. This is the baseline in the comparison table: it shows what happens if you never put spare cash toward debt.
Debt Payoff Planner
Compare snowball and avalanche strategies across your debts. See when you could be debt-free, how much interest you might pay, and which debt to tackle first.
How the strategies work
Every strategy pays the required minimum on each debt every month. The difference is where any extra money goes after that — and what happens when a debt is cleared.
Snowball
After all minimums are paid, any extra (plus freed minimums — see below) goes to the debt with the smallest balance first. Clearing small debts quickly can feel motivating and simplify your monthly bills, even if it is not always the cheapest option in interest terms.
Avalanche
After all minimums are paid, extra goes to the debt with the highest APR first. That usually minimises total interest and gets you debt-free sooner than minimums alone. Snowball and avalanche use the same rolling redirect; only the target order differs. When the smallest balance is also the highest rate, both strategies pick the same debts and the results match.
Rolling snowball: When a debt is paid off, its minimum payment is added to your extra pool next month. Your total outlay stays the same, but more goes toward the remaining debts. Both snowball and avalanche use this redirect in this calculator.
Extra and lump sum: “Extra monthly payment” is applied above all minimums each month, directed by the strategy. A one-off lump sum is applied in month one to the first target debt for that strategy.
0% promotional cards: Set APR to 0%, enter months remaining at 0%, and the APR that applies after the promo. Extra payments go to those balances before snowball or avalanche rules, starting with the promo closest to ending.
Your debts
Debt-free
- Snowball —
- Avalanche —
Interest saved vs minimums
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Months saved vs minimums
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Strategy comparison
Side-by-side results for minimums only, snowball (smallest balance first), and avalanche (highest APR first), using the extra payment and lump sum you entered.
| Minimums only | Snowball | Avalanche |
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Payoff order
Snowball
Avalanche
Total balance remaining
Month-by-month schedule
| Month | Date | Total balance | Interest | Payment | Notes |
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Important: Figures are estimates based on the information you enter. Fees, rate changes, and lender rules are not modelled. This tool is for general information only and is not financial advice.