# Debt Payoff Planner (Snowball vs Avalanche)

> Free debt payoff calculator. Compare the snowball and avalanche methods month by month, see total interest and your debt-free date, and test extra payments. No email, runs offline.

- **Category:** Calculators
- **URL:** https://www.teafun.cyou/tools/debt-payoff-planner/
- **Privacy:** Runs entirely in your browser — no uploads, no account, no tracking.
- **Also known as:** debt snowball calculator, debt avalanche calculator, pay off debt faster, debt repayment plan, snowball vs avalanche
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- **Tags:** Finance, Planning, Productivity

## About

Compare the snowball and avalanche methods side by side: see how many months and how much interest each one takes to clear your debts, and what an extra payment saves — all in your browser, with no sign-up.

## How to Use It

List each debt with its current **balance**, its **APR** (the yearly interest rate printed on your statement), and the **minimum monthly payment** your lender requires. Add a row for every card or loan. Then enter any **extra** amount you can put toward debt each month on top of the minimums — even a small figure shortens the timeline noticeably. The two result cards show, side by side, how many months each method takes, your estimated debt-free date, and the total interest paid. Open the month-by-month schedule to check the maths yourself. Everything recalculates instantly as you type, and your list is saved in your browser so it is still there when you come back.

## Why the Two Methods Differ

The avalanche method is always at least as cheap as the snowball in pure interest terms, because paying down your highest-rate debt first stops the most expensive interest from accruing. Sometimes the gap is small; with one very high-rate balance it can be large. The snowball, by contrast, is built around motivation: clearing a whole debt quickly — even a small one — gives a visible win and one fewer payment to track, which research on goal-setting suggests can help people stay with a plan. Neither is wrong. If the interest difference shown above is small, the snowball psychological boost may be worth more than the few dollars saved; if it is large, the avalanche keeps more money in your pocket. The one approach that loses on both counts is paying only the minimums.

_SEO title: Debt Payoff Planner – Snowball vs Avalanche Calculator | TeaFun_

## FAQ

### What's the difference between the snowball and avalanche methods?

Both put every spare dollar toward one debt at a time while paying minimums on the rest. The snowball targets your smallest balance first for a quick psychological win; the avalanche targets your highest interest rate first to save the most money. This tool runs both so you can see the trade-off for your own numbers.

### Which method should I choose?

If the interest saved by the avalanche (shown at the top) is large, it is the cheaper choice. If it is small, the snowball early wins may help you stay motivated and finish the plan. The best method is the one you will actually stick with.

### How is the interest calculated?

Each month the planner adds interest to every balance at one-twelfth of its APR, applies your minimum payments, then puts all remaining money toward the target debt. It assumes your rates and minimums stay fixed and that you keep paying the same total every month — a simplification real lenders do not always follow.

### What does the extra payment do?

It is the amount you pay above the sum of your minimums. Because minimums on high-rate debt barely dent the principal, the extra payment is what actually shortens the timeline. Try changing it to see how even a small increase moves your debt-free date.

### Why does a debt show that it 'never clears'?

If a debt minimum payment is smaller than its monthly interest, the balance grows instead of shrinking, so at that payment it would never be paid off. The planner caps the simulation at 100 years and warns you. Raising the minimum or adding an extra payment fixes it.