CardsPayoff

Debt Avalanche Calculator

See your exact debt-free date using the avalanche method — highest APR first — with the snowball method compared automatically.

Quick answer

The debt avalanche method pays your highest-interest card first while covering minimums on everything else — the mathematically cheapest order. Enter your cards below and the calculator shows your avalanche debt-free date and total interest — plus the snowball result side by side, so you can see exactly what the order is worth.

Your cards

Monthly budget

$
$

Fastest debt-free date

Using the recommended method

Months to freedom

Total interest paid

Snowball

Smallest balance first

Debt-free
Months
Interest

Avalanche

Highest APR first

Debt-free
Months
Interest

Balance over time

SnowballAvalanche

Frequently asked questions

How does this avalanche calculator work?

Enter each card's balance, APR, and minimum payment, plus your total monthly budget. The calculator pays every minimum, then puts all remaining budget toward your highest-APR card first — rolling each paid-off card's minimum into the next one — and shows your debt-free date and total interest.

Does this calculator also show the snowball method?

Yes — it computes both the avalanche and snowball methods side by side automatically, so you can see exactly how much money the snowball order would cost you before deciding.

How much does avalanche actually save compared to snowball?

It depends on how spread out your APRs are. If one card's rate is much higher than the rest, avalanche can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Enter your real cards below to see the exact number.

Is the avalanche calculator free?

Yes, completely free, with no signup and no email required. Nothing you enter is sent to a server — every calculation runs in your browser.

Related: how the avalanche method works,the snowball calculator, andsnowball vs avalanche, compared.