Debt Snowball vs Avalanche — Side-by-Side Comparison
Snowball vs avalanche is the debate most payoff guides skip past with a slogan. The real answer depends on your balances: avalanche saves interest when rates differ a lot; snowball wins on momentum when a small debt can disappear in months. This page runs both from the same $550 budget and states the difference in dollars and months.
The comparison block at the top is the product — payoff date, total interest, and which debt clears first under each method. Pick a strategy in the controls below to render that schedule. Download PDF or CSV for the plan you choose.
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Avalanche (highest rate first)
Payoff: 34 months
Total interest: $2,718.32
First debt cleared: month 21
Snowball (smallest balance first)
Payoff: 34 months
Total interest: $2,805.51
First debt cleared: month 10
Avalanche: 34 months · $2,718.32 interest
Snowball: 34 months · $2,805.51 interest
Avalanche saves $87.19 in interest compared to snowball.
Snowball clears your first debt 11 months sooner.
Paying only minimums costs $3,837.35 more in interest than avalanche.
Avalanche clear order
- 1. Visa — month 21
- 2. Mastercard — month 25
- 3. Car loan — month 34
| Month | Debt | Payment | Interest | Principal | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visa | $290.00 | $91.96 | $198.04 | $4,601.96 |
| 1 | Mastercard | $65.00 | $34.98 | $30.02 | $2,069.98 |
| 1 | Car loan | $195.00 | $46.04 | $148.96 | $8,351.04 |
| 2 | Visa | $290.00 | $88.17 | $201.83 | $4,400.13 |
| 2 | Mastercard | $65.00 | $34.48 | $30.52 | $2,039.46 |
| 2 | Car loan | $195.00 | $45.23 | $149.77 | $8,201.27 |
| 3 | Visa | $290.00 | $84.30 | $205.70 | $4,194.43 |
| 3 | Mastercard | $65.00 | $33.97 | $31.03 | $2,008.43 |
| 3 | Car loan | $195.00 | $44.42 | $150.58 | $8,050.69 |
| 4 | Visa | $290.00 | $80.36 | $209.64 | $3,984.79 |
| 4 | Mastercard | $65.00 | $33.46 | $31.54 | $1,976.89 |
| 4 | Car loan | $195.00 | $43.61 | $151.39 | $7,899.30 |
| 5 | Visa | $290.00 | $76.34 | $213.66 | $3,771.13 |
| 5 | Mastercard | $65.00 | $32.93 | $32.07 | $1,944.82 |
| 5 | Car loan | $195.00 | $42.79 | $152.21 | $7,747.09 |
| 6 | Visa | $290.00 | $72.25 | $217.75 | $3,553.38 |
| 6 | Mastercard | $65.00 | $32.40 | $32.60 | $1,912.22 |
| 6 | Car loan | $195.00 | $41.96 | $153.04 | $7,594.05 |
| 7 | Visa | $290.00 | $68.08 | $221.92 | $3,331.46 |
| 7 | Mastercard | $65.00 | $31.85 | $33.15 | $1,879.07 |
| 7 | Car loan | $195.00 | $41.13 | $153.87 | $7,440.18 |
| 8 | Visa | $290.00 | $63.83 | $226.17 | $3,105.29 |
| 8 | Mastercard | $65.00 | $31.30 | $33.70 | $1,845.37 |
| 8 | Car loan | $195.00 | $40.30 | $154.70 | $7,285.48 |
Showing first 24 of 80 rows. Download PDF or CSV for the full schedule.
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