Free calculator · Personal Finance
Debt Payoff, Avalanche vs Snowball
Compares the avalanche and snowball payoff orders for up to three debts, showing the months to a zero balance and the total interest paid under each. Inputs are each debt’s balance, APR, and minimum payment, plus the extra amount paid every month.
By Devon Coombs, CPA, MBA · Teaching Professor of Finance, Santa Clara University · Reviewed August 2026
From the author: Devon Coombs, CPA, MBA teaches finance at Santa Clara University and works with corporate teams on practical AI.
AI training for finance teams · Consulting · The 10 Laws of Finance
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Debt Payoff, Avalanche vs Snowball
Debt 1
Debt 2 (set balance to $0 to skip)
Debt 3 (set balance to $0 to skip)
Avalanche
2 yr 3 mo
highest APR first
$2,045.73
total interest
Snowball
2 yr 4 mo
smallest balance first
$2,653.59
total interest
Total owed today
$10,700
3 debts
Avalanche saves
$607.86
interest vs snowball
Monthly budget = minimums + extra = $280 + $200 = $480, held constant until every balance reaches $0
Avalanche usually minimizes interest; snowball retires whole accounts sooner, which some people find easier to stick with. Both beat paying minimums only.
Learn the concept
This calculator comes from the free Corporate Finance: The 10 Laws of Finance course, where the concept is taught with readings, worked examples, and practice questions.
Precomputed reference tables
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Built by Devon Coombs, CPA, MBA, Teaching Professor of Finance at Santa Clara University.