Avalanche vs snowball calculator

Two proven ways to pay off debt. Enter your debts once and see which one gets you to $0 sooner — and how much interest you’d save either way.

Debt payoff race: avalanche vs snowball

Enter your debts and see which method gets you to $0 faster.

DebtBalanceAPR %Monthly

Extra per month

Avalanche · highest APR first3 yr 1 mo · $3,978 interest

3 yr 1 mo

Snowball · smallest balance first3 yr 3 mo · $4,919 interest

3 yr 3 mo

Avalanche saves you $941 and 2 mo.

Avalanche saves the most money; snowball builds momentum with quick wins.

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Watch your real payoff date move up

Track every debt in PiggySize and see the finish line get closer each time you pay — no bank linking, nothing saved here.

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How the two methods work

Avalanche — pay the minimum on everything, then throw every extra dollar at the debt with the highest interest rate first. This costs the least in interest.
Snowball — pay the minimum on everything, then attack the smallest balance first. You clear whole debts quickly, which keeps you motivated.

Both roll each freed-up payment onto the next debt, so the payoff speeds up over time. Avalanche usually wins on math; snowball often wins on follow-through. The best method is the one you’ll actually stick with.

This calculator gives educational estimates only and isn’t financial advice. The math runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere. These PiggySize tools are provided free for personal use on our own sites and may not be embedded, copied, or redistributed. © 2026 PiggySize. All rights reserved.