What is the debt snowball vs avalanche method?

The snowball method pays off the smallest balance first to build motivation through quick wins. The avalanche method targets the highest APR first to minimize total interest paid. Both use the same monthly budget — the difference is which debt gets the extra payment.

Snowball & Avalanche Custom order CSV export

Debt Payoff Planner

Snowball (lowest balance), Avalanche (highest APR), or your custom order — plan payoff without sending data anywhere.

Budget aware Monthly Set a single payoff budget

Strategies Snowball / Avalanche / Custom Reorder debts to fit your plan

Export CSV Download a full payoff schedule

Start planning Read FAQ

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Plan your payoff

Set a payoff budget, pick a strategy, then add each debt with balance, APR, and minimum payment.

Monthly Budget Strategy

Start date defaults to the current month. Adjust if you plan to begin later.

Start Month Start Year

Debts

Name	Balance	APR %	Min payment	Order	Actions

Summary

Payoff date —

Months to payoff —

Total interest —

Interest saved —

Schedule (first 12 rows)

Month	Debt	Payment	Interest	Principal	Ending balance

Strategy primers

Snowball: Focus extra payments on the smallest balance for quick wins.
Avalanche: Target the highest APR first to minimize interest paid.
Custom: Reorder debts manually to match personal priorities.

Privacy: Everything runs locally. Exported CSV files stay on your device.

Make your budget work harder

Adjust the budget

Increase the monthly budget until Interest Saved stops rising to find the sweet spot.
Try a temporary boost — enter a higher budget for a few months, then revert.
Re-run with minimums only to benchmark how much interest you save.

Stay motivated

Track the projected payoff date and months remaining to celebrate milestones.
Use the exported CSV to update spreadsheets or share progress with a partner.
Revisit the plan each quarter to account for new balances or rate changes.

Debt Snowball Calculator

Pre-set to Snowball mode. Includes a full explanation of the method, when to use it, and tips for staying motivated.

Open Snowball calculator →

Debt Avalanche Calculator

Pre-set to Avalanche mode. Includes a full explanation of why targeting high-APR debt first minimizes total interest paid.

Open Avalanche calculator →

FAQ

Can I model biweekly payments?

Yes. Enter your monthly budget as the total you can contribute each month. Add debts with their usual minimums and the planner allocates the rest automatically.

How do I prioritize a specific debt?

Switch to the Custom strategy, then drag debts using the up/down buttons to fit the order you prefer.

Does the planner support promotional 0% APR cards?

Yes. Set APR to 0 during the promo period, then rerun the plan with the new rate when the promotion ends.

Is my information stored?

No. Inputs stay in your browser memory only. Refreshing or closing the tab clears them.