Your debts
Order to clear them in
Last updated 3 September 2026
The difference between the two methods
Both approaches pay the minimum on everything and put whatever is spare against one target debt. The avalanche sends that spare money to the highest interest rate first, which is mathematically the cheapest route and always clears the debt for the least total interest. The snowball sends it to the smallest balance first, which costs a little more but produces a cleared debt sooner — and for a lot of people that visible win is what keeps the plan alive long enough to work. This planner runs both on your actual numbers so the trade-off is a real figure rather than a matter of opinion. If the gap between them is small, the method you'll stick with is the better one.
What to do before either method
Two things change the outcome more than the choice between avalanche and snowball. The first is any employer match or high-interest debt that outranks everything else in the list — there is rarely a reason to prepay a 4% loan while carrying a 22% card balance. The second is the interest rate itself: a balance transfer or a consolidation loan that cuts the rate does more in one step than months of optimised ordering at the original rate.
It is also worth checking for prepayment penalties before making extra payments. Some fixed-rate personal loans and mortgages charge a fee for early repayment, which can erase the interest saving entirely. Where a penalty applies, the extra money usually does more sitting in a savings account until the penalty period ends.
Assumptions and limitations
What the maths does. It models the snowball method (smallest balance first) and the avalanche method (highest interest rate first) on the debts you enter, assuming fixed rates, fixed minimum payments, no new borrowing, and every payment made on time.
Avalanche is cheaper; snowball is often easier to stick to. Paying the highest rate first always costs less in interest arithmetically. Clearing the smallest balance first costs more but produces a visible win sooner, which some people find easier to sustain. Neither is objectively correct.
What is not included. Fees, late-payment charges, promotional rates that expire, penalty rates triggered by a missed payment, early-settlement charges, and any new spending on the accounts.
If the minimums are already unaffordable, a payoff plan is not the answer. Free, regulated debt advice is available in most countries and is worth using before arrears build up.
Assumptions that apply to every finance calculator here
Currency is a display choice only. Changing the currency symbol relabels the output; it does not convert anything and no exchange rate is used anywhere in this tool.
Tax and lending rules vary by country. Nothing here is adjusted for the rules where you live — income tax, capital gains tax, stamp duty, lending caps, affordability tests and consumer-credit regulation all differ, and several of them can change the real answer materially.
Rates and returns are not guaranteed. Any rate you enter is treated as fixed for the whole period. Real interest rates move, real investment returns vary year to year and can be negative, and past performance does not predict future results.
This is an estimate, not advice. The result is arithmetic on the numbers you typed. It is not an offer, a quote, an approval, an investment recommendation or financial advice. Before committing to anything, get figures from the actual lender, provider or a qualified adviser in your country.
Common questions
Which method should I choose?
The avalanche always costs less in interest, so if the gap shown is large it's the rational pick. If the gap is small, the snowball's early wins can be worth more in practice than the difference — a plan you abandon saves nothing at all.
What is the rolling payment effect?
When one debt clears, its monthly payment doesn't disappear — it gets added to the payment on the next debt. That's why both methods accelerate over time, and why either beats simply paying every minimum forever.
What if a minimum payment doesn't cover the interest?
Then that debt grows rather than shrinks and can never clear on the minimum alone. The planner flags this instead of showing a misleading timeline, because it means the minimum itself needs raising.
Is my information stored anywhere?
No. Everything is worked out in your browser and nothing about your debts is uploaded or saved.