What is the debt avalanche method?

You pay the minimum on every debt and put all extra money toward the debt with the highest interest rate. When it is paid off, its payment rolls to the next-highest rate.

Is avalanche always cheaper than snowball?

It pays the same or less total interest in almost every case, because the highest-rate balance shrinks first.

What if my budget is too low?

If the budget does not cover the minimum payments, or balances would still be growing after 50 years, the calculator warns you to raise the budget.

How is interest calculated?

Each month, interest = balance × APR ÷ 12 is added before payments are applied.

Yes. Your balances never leave your browser.

Credit Card Avalanche Calculator

Plan credit card payoff with the debt avalanche method: pay minimums on all cards and send extra money to the highest APR first.

100% free
Private in browser
No signup
No watermarks

Card 1 balance ($)

Card 1 APR (%)

Card 1 minimum payment ($)

Card 2 balance ($)

Card 2 APR (%)

Card 2 minimum payment ($)

Card 3 balance ($)

Card 3 APR (%)

Card 3 minimum payment ($)

Total monthly payment budget ($)

Months to debt-free

1 yr 6 mo (18 months)

Total interest paid

$1,564.48

Total amount paid

$10,264.48

Payoff order

Card 3 → Card 1 → Card 2

Interest with the other method

$1,673.93

Note

The avalanche method saves $109.46 in interest versus snowball.

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About Credit Card Avalanche Calculator

The avalanche method minimizes interest by attacking the highest-interest card first. Enter up to three cards and your total monthly budget to see how long payoff takes, the interest you will pay, the payoff order and how it compares with the snowball method.

How to use Credit Card Avalanche Calculator

Enter the balance, APR and minimum payment for each card (set unused cards to 0).
Enter the total you can pay across all cards each month.
Review months to debt-free, total interest and the payoff order.

Key features

Month-by-month avalanche simulation
Extra payments roll over as cards are paid off
Payoff order of your cards
Interest comparison with the snowball method
Private in-browser calculation

Frequently asked questions

What is the debt avalanche method?: You pay the minimum on every debt and put all extra money toward the debt with the highest interest rate. When it is paid off, its payment rolls to the next-highest rate.
Is avalanche always cheaper than snowball?: It pays the same or less total interest in almost every case, because the highest-rate balance shrinks first.
What if my budget is too low?: If the budget does not cover the minimum payments, or balances would still be growing after 50 years, the calculator warns you to raise the budget.
How is interest calculated?: Each month, interest = balance × APR ÷ 12 is added before payments are applied.
Is my data private?: Yes. Your balances never leave your browser.

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