Debt Payoff · Calculator

Free Debt Avalanche Calculator

What is a debt avalanche calculator?

Debt avalanche directs extra payment to the highest APR balance first to minimize interest mathematically.

Enter two balances, APRs, and monthly debt budget to estimate months and total interest under avalanche ordering.

Avalanche strategy: pay minimums, direct extra budget to highest current APR first

Compare avalanche and snowball with identical inputs to pick the strategy you will sustain consistently.

Real-life example (try this in the calculator)

Using the same scenario as snowball ($1,200 and $6,500 debts, 15% and 22% APR, $280 budget).

Line item Amount Calculator field
Debt 1 balance $1,200 Debt 1 balance ($)
Debt 2 balance $6,500 Debt 2 balance ($)
Debt 1 APR 15% Debt 1 APR (%)
Debt 2 APR 22% Debt 2 APR (%)
Monthly debt budget $280 Monthly payment budget ($)
Avalanche estimate is about 38 months, usually with lower total interest than snowball.

Higher-interest-first often wins mathematically when behavior is constant.

How to read your results

  • Estimated months (avalanche) — Timeline estimate using highest-APR-first payoff ordering.
  • Estimated total interest — Total modeled interest paid across both balances.
  • Monthly debt budget — Fixed monthly amount applied in the simulation.

Use whichever method you can stick to consistently; behavior often matters more than small model differences.

Quick questions

Often, but not always by much. Interest savings are usually the main advantage.
Not necessarily; if motivation matters, snowball may be easier to sustain.
Yes. Recalculate periodically as balances and APRs change.

Turn this into a real monthly plan. Set income, caps, and alerts in Ziko — free, no bank login.

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