Debt Payoff Optimizer

If you have multiple debts, the order you pay them off in matters — a lot. Pay them in the wrong order and you could spend thousands of dollars more in interest and years longer in debt than you need to. Pay them in the right order and the same monthly budget produces dramatically better results, because every time a debt disappears, that minimum payment rolls into the next one and accelerates the whole process.

There are two schools of thought on which order is right. The Avalanche method says target the highest interest rate first — that is where money is leaking fastest. The Snowball method says target the smallest balance first — the quick wins keep you motivated. Both beat paying minimums. Which beats the other depends on your debts and your psychology.

This calculator lets you run all three scenarios side by side — Avalanche, Snowball, and your own custom order — against a minimums-only baseline. Add your debts, set the extra amount you can put toward debt each month, and see the total interest, payoff timeline, and exact sequence for each strategy. The payoff schedule shows you month by month what disappears when. Most people find one number surprising: how much the minimums-only path actually costs.