Debt & home
Debt payoff order calculator
Card, consumer loan, a family IOU — which one should the spare cash hit first? Two classic orders simulated side by side.
Two orders compared
1y 6m
Avalanche · interest 3,876.67
Snowball: debt-free
1y 6m
Snowball: interest
5,051.59
Avalanche pays 1,174.92 less interest.
Per-debt payoff order
| Debt | Avalanche clears | Snowball clears | Avl. interest | Snw. interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 信用卡 | mo 9 | mo 11 | 1,238.62 | 2,049.22 |
| 消费贷 | mo 16 | mo 18 | 2,638.05 | 3,002.37 |
| 亲友借款 | mo 18 | mo 4 | 0 | 0 |
Avalanche, year by year
| Year | Paid | Interest | Balance left |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42,000 | 3,645.80 | 17,645.80 |
| 2 | 17,876.67 | 230.87 | 0 |
Snowball, year by year
| Year | Paid | Interest | Balance left |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42,000 | 4,566.88 | 18,566.88 |
| 2 | 19,051.59 | 484.72 | 0 |
Month-by-month detail (avalanche)
Month-by-month detail (snowball)
What the two orders actually trade
Avalanche sends every spare unit to the highest-APR debt — mathematically the least total interest. Snowball clears the smallest balance first: quicker wins, faster feedback, usually a bit more interest. The tool runs your single monthly budget through both orders; the difference is the price of motivation.
Each month works in a fixed order: every debt gets its own minimum first (capped at the amount due), then the leftover budget flows down the priority list. A cleared debt's freed minimum joins the extra pool automatically — that is the 'snowball' rolling.
When the result cannot be trusted
If the budget cannot cover all minimums, no ordering rescues the cash flow — the tool reports the shortfall instead of printing a plan you cannot afford. A debt whose minimum does not cover even the month's interest only grows; it is flagged by name, and any balance still open at the 600-month cap is reported as-is rather than given a fake payoff date.
Minimum payments are exactly what you type in. Issuer-specific minimum rules (percentage floors, fees, penalties) are not simulated — copy the figure from your own statement.
Frequently asked
Avalanche or snowball — which is better?
On interest alone, avalanche never does worse. Snowball clears the first debt sooner, and that early win keeps many people going. The tool runs both so you can see exactly what the quicker wins cost in interest.
How is interest charged?
Monthly, on every open balance: month interest = balance × APR ÷ 12, added to the balance before payments are applied — the same convention as the mortgage tools on this site. Minimums are the numbers you type; issuer-specific minimum rules are not simulated.
What if the budget only equals the sum of minimums?
The simulation still runs, and there is no spare payment on top. Once a debt is nearly gone, the unused part of its minimum follows the priority order, so the two totals can still differ by a small amount.
Why does a debt never finish?
If its minimum is at or below the month's interest, the principal cannot shrink. The tool flags it: raise that debt's minimum or give it more of the budget, otherwise it is reported as unpaid at the 600-month cap.
Month-by-month simulation at monthly compounding, all local. Minimums are whatever you enter — issuer contract rules, late fees and rate changes are not modelled. Estimates only, not repayment or investment advice.