Debt Avalanche Calculator

Pay off debt using the avalanche method — target the highest interest rate first.

💳

Debt Avalanche

Enter your debts and see how the avalanche method saves you money.

Payoff time (avalanche)
0 months
Total interest: $0
Total debt
$0
Avalanche months
0
Avalanche interest
$0
Snowball interest
$0
Interest saved vs snowball
$0
Payoff order
—

Worked example

With the default inputs shown below, this calculator returns the following results:

InputValue
Debt 1 — balance ($)$5,000
Debt 1 — APR (%)22%
Debt 2 — balance ($)$10,000
Debt 2 — APR (%)18%
Debt 3 — balance ($)$3,000
Debt 3 — APR (%)15%
Monthly payment ($)$600
ResultValue
Payoff time (avalanche)30 months
Total debt$18,000
Avalanche months30
Avalanche interest$1,916
Snowball interest$1,916
Payoff orderHighest APR first

Values shown are produced by this page in your browser; change any input to update them.

How to use the Debt Avalanche

  1. Debt 1 — balance ($) — default $5,000
  2. Debt 1 — APR (%) — default 22%
  3. Debt 2 — balance ($) — default $10,000
  4. Debt 2 — APR (%) — default 18%
  5. Debt 3 — balance ($) — default $3,000
  6. Debt 3 — APR (%) — default 15%
  7. Monthly payment ($) — default $600
  8. Press Calculate to update the results instantly.

Frequently asked questions

Pay minimums everywhere, then throw every spare dollar at the debt with the highest interest rate. It costs the least in total interest.
Mathematically yes — it saves more interest. Snowball (smallest balance first) wins on motivation, which matters if you need early wins to keep going.
Start with the smaller balance so you close an account sooner. It makes no difference to the total interest.

Sources & references