Free Debt Payoff Calculator: Snowball vs Avalanche
List your debts, add any extra you can pay each month, and compare the two most common payoff methods. The snowball pays the smallest balance first; the avalanche pays the highest interest rate first. When a debt is paid off, its payment rolls to the next one.
It runs in your browser. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere. The rows filled in below are made-up example debts; clear them and add your own.
| Debt | Balance ($) | APR (%) | Minimum ($/mo) |
|---|
How the math works
- Interest is estimated monthly: balance × APR ÷ 12. Real statements differ a little because of daily interest, fees and rate changes.
- Every month you pay every minimum, then the extra (plus any minimums freed up by paid-off debts) goes to the target debt.
- It assumes no new charges and fixed rates. Promo rates that end, or new spending, will change the result.
This is an estimate for planning, not financial advice.
Want the month-by-month plan?
The Debt Snowball & Avalanche Planner ($5) is a spreadsheet that does this for up to 10 debts and shows what to pay on each debt every month for both methods, with a debt-free date, a balance chart and a "Done" column to tick off each payment. Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
Get the planner on Gumroad – $5
This template is also in the Complete Household Money Bundle (what's inside): all 13 home money spreadsheets for $29 (about $69 if bought one by one).
We make this template, so take that into account. The calculator above is free to use either way.
Related free guides
- Debt Snowball vs Debt Avalanche: How to Pick One
- How to Pay Off Multiple Credit Cards (Example Numbers)
- How to Make a Debt Payoff Plan in a Spreadsheet
- How to Pay Off Debt on a Low Income (Example Numbers)
See all Cedar & Ledger templates