Debt Payoff Calculator
List your debts, set what extra you can throw at them, and watch your debt-free date move. Snowball, avalanche, and hybrid — compared side by side with your real numbers.
Ultimate Budget Workbook
The extra payment that powers all of this has to come from somewhere. The budget workbook helps you find that money each month and keep the plan on track until the last debt clears.
See the Budget Workbook →How to pay off debt faster
Paying off multiple debts comes down to two levers: the extra you can put toward them each month, and the order you attack them in. This calculator models both, then runs the snowball, avalanche, and hybrid methods on your real balances so you can see the actual difference instead of guessing.
Snowball: smallest balance first
You pay minimums on everything, then throw every extra dollar at your smallest balance. When it clears, its payment rolls into the next-smallest. The early wins come fast, which is why a lot of people who try snowball actually finish.
Avalanche: highest interest first
Same mechanics, different order — you target the highest APR first. This always costs the least interest mathematically. The catch is the first win can take a while if your highest-rate debt also has a big balance.
Hybrid: momentum, then math
Start with snowball for the first few months to bank a quick win, then switch to avalanche to capture most of the interest savings. A reasonable middle path if you want some early motivation without giving up much money.
The extra payment is the real lever
Notice what happens when you move the extra-payment slider. Because every extra dollar goes straight to principal on your target debt, even a modest increase can pull your debt-free date in by months or years and cut your total interest dramatically.
What's the difference between the snowball and avalanche methods?
Snowball pays the smallest balance first for quick wins; avalanche pays the highest interest rate first to save the most money. Both pay minimums on everything else and roll each cleared debt's payment into the next. This tool runs both, plus a hybrid, so you see the exact difference for your debts.
Which debt payoff method is best?
Avalanche always saves the most interest mathematically. But the difference is often small, and snowball's early wins make it easier to stick with. The best method is the one you'll actually finish — the comparison above shows the gap so you can decide.
How much faster will an extra payment make me debt-free?
Every extra dollar goes straight to principal on your target debt, so even a small extra payment can cut months or years off your timeline and save thousands in interest. Move the extra-payment slider to see exactly how your date and total interest change.
Is this debt payoff calculator free?
Yes — free, no ads, no signup, and it runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored.