Debt Payoff Calculator (Snowball & Avalanche)
Enter each balance, APR, and minimum payment, then add an optional extra monthly amount toward debt. The simulator accrues interest monthly and applies your strategy to the extra portion—educational, not a payoff quote from your lender.
Calculator
Debts
Balance, APR, and minimum payment for each account. Add or remove rows as needed.
Debt-free countdown (Avalanche)
24 months
Target payoff date: Apr 20, 2028
Estimated progress after month 12
52% of starting balances paid down (principal).
Avalanche
Highest APR first
- Payoff
- 24 mo · Apr 20, 2028
- Total interest
- $1,592
- Interest saved vs. min only
- $2,586
- Total paid
- $12,592
Snowball
Smallest balance first
- Payoff
- 24 mo · Apr 20, 2028
- Total interest
- $1,592
- Interest saved vs. min only
- $2,586
- Total paid
- $12,592
Avalanche vs snowball — total interest
Lower is better (same debts, same extra payment).
Total interest (Avalanche)
$1,592
Interest saved vs. min payments
$2,586
Total paid (principal + interest)
$12,592
Minimum-only interest (baseline)
$4,178
Payoff timeline — balance remaining
Your selected method (Avalanche).
Stacked balances by debt
Sampled across the payoff for readability.
Month-by-month payoff schedule (Avalanche)
| Month | Interest | Cum. interest | Total left | Credit card | Personal loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $145 | $145 | $10,565 | $3,910 | $6,655 |
| 2 | $138 | $284 | $10,124 | $3,615 | $6,509 |
| 3 | $131 | $415 | $9,675 | $3,314 | $6,361 |
| 4 | $124 | $539 | $9,219 | $3,007 | $6,212 |
| 5 | $117 | $656 | $8,756 | $2,694 | $6,062 |
| 6 | $110 | $766 | $8,286 | $2,376 | $5,910 |
| 7 | $102 | $868 | $7,808 | $2,051 | $5,757 |
| 8 | $94 | $962 | $7,322 | $1,720 | $5,602 |
| 9 | $87 | $1,049 | $6,829 | $1,383 | $5,445 |
| 10 | $79 | $1,127 | $6,327 | $1,039 | $5,288 |
| 11 | $71 | $1,198 | $5,818 | $689 | $5,128 |
| 12 | $62 | $1,260 | $5,300 | $332 | $4,967 |
| 13 | $54 | $1,314 | $4,774 | $0 | $4,774 |
| 14 | $46 | $1,360 | $4,360 | $0 | $4,360 |
| 15 | $42 | $1,401 | $3,941 | $0 | $3,941 |
| 16 | $38 | $1,439 | $3,519 | $0 | $3,519 |
| 17 | $34 | $1,473 | $3,093 | $0 | $3,093 |
| 18 | $30 | $1,502 | $2,662 | $0 | $2,662 |
| 19 | $26 | $1,528 | $2,228 | $0 | $2,228 |
| 20 | $21 | $1,549 | $1,789 | $0 | $1,789 |
| 21 | $17 | $1,567 | $1,347 | $0 | $1,347 |
| 22 | $13 | $1,579 | $899 | $0 | $899 |
| 23 | $9 | $1,588 | $448 | $0 | $448 |
| 24 | $4 | $1,592 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Frequently asked questions
- Which strategy saves the most interest?
- Avalanche (highest APR first) usually minimizes interest. Snowball (smallest balance first) can feel faster mentally—both are supported here.
- Why does the timeline look long?
- If minimum payments barely cover interest on high-APR debt, payoff stretches out. Try increasing the extra payment to see sensitivity.
- Are fees or promotional rates modeled?
- No. This uses a constant APR per debt. Promo periods and fees would need to be approximated outside the tool.