Pay the smallest balance first and roll each freed payment into the next debt
Estimates only, not financial advice. What you type stays on your device. Updated on 24 Oct 2026.The debt snowball pays the smallest balance first while every other debt gets its minimum, then rolls the freed payment into the next smallest. On five example debts totalling $23,000 with $200 extra a month, it clears a $900 medical bill in month 4 and everything in 29 months, at $3,703.77 of interest. Enter your own debts to see your order and dates.
| Extra a month | Snowball | Avalanche |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | 39 months, $6,038 interest | 39 months, $6,038 interest |
| $100 | 33 months, $4,552 interest | 33 months, $4,349 interest |
| $200 | 29 months, $3,704 interest | 28 months, $3,500 interest |
| $500 | 21 months, $2,476 interest | 21 months, $2,307 interest |
List every debt with its balance, APR and minimum payment.
Enter the extra you can pay each month on top of the minimums.
The snowball column pays the smallest balance first and keeps every other debt on its minimum.
When a debt is cleared its payment rolls into the next smallest; read the month each one goes.
This calculator takes every debt you have, each with its balance, APR and minimum payment, and works out three plans month by month: the snowball, the avalanche, and paying only the minimums. The plans sit side by side with the debt-free date, the total interest and the order the debts are cleared.
The two orders. Both plans pay every minimum and send the rest of the budget to one debt at a time. The snowball picks the smallest balance first; the avalanche picks the highest APR first. When a debt is cleared, its minimum is not spent elsewhere: it rolls into the next target, so the monthly budget stays the same until the last debt goes. Ties are broken plainly: a balance tie goes to the higher APR, an APR tie to the smaller balance, then to the row order.
What it does not do. It does not model new purchases, fees, promotional 0% periods ending, balance transfers or variable rates. Blank rows are ignored. The currency setting changes only the symbol. For one card in detail, including its minimum-payment formula, use the Credit Card Payoff Calculator.
The rest of the article, and all 6 questions about Debt Payoff Calculator, are on the Debt Payoff Calculator page.
Both methods pay every minimum and put all spare money on one debt at a time. The snowball targets the smallest balance first, so whole debts disappear sooner. The avalanche targets the highest APR first, so less interest is paid overall. On five example debts with $200 extra a month, the avalanche saves $203.78.
Paying the highest APR first costs the least interest in almost every case. A small balance with a similar rate can reasonably go first if clearing it quickly keeps the plan going. A debt whose minimum does not cover its own interest should come first either way, because on minimums alone its balance only grows.
The answer depends on the total owed, the APRs and the monthly budget. With $23,000 across five example debts, $750 of minimums and $200 extra a month, the avalanche finishes in 28 months. Paying only the minimums, with no roll-over from cleared debts, takes 66 months. Enter your own debts for your date.
A payment that does not beat the month's interest leaves the balance the same or larger. At 24% APR, a $10,000 balance charges $200 of interest in the first month, so a $150 minimum never clears it. The calculator names any debt in that position and stops a plan after 50 years.
Formula only: no rates or limits are read from an official source.
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