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Snowball vs avalanche — see both side by side

Enter your debts once and compare both repayment strategies side-by-side: same debts, same extra payment, different payoff order.

Debt Meltdown Calculator

Add your debts below, choose a strategy, and watch your debt stack melt down month by month.

Strategy Comparison Fact: The Avalanche strategy mathematically saves £906 in interest compared to Snowball for these numbers. However, Snowball clears your first account earlier, which can still be easier to stick with psychologically.

Your Debts

Total: £7,150 | Min Payments: £200/mo
Debt #1
£
%
£
Debt #2
£
%
£
Debt #3
£
%
£
£
Any extra cash you spare is funneled directly to your top-priority debt each month.
Side-by-Side Meltdown ComparisonToday
Snowball Tower
End: Aug 2029 | £3082 interest
Remaining
£7,150
Small Overdraft£450
High-APR Store Card£4,200
Bank Credit Card£2,500
Avalanche Tower
End: Mar 2029 | £2177 interest
Remaining
£7,150
Small Overdraft£450
High-APR Store Card£4,200
Bank Credit Card£2,500
Month 0 (Today)Month 0 of 31Month 31 (Mar 2029)

Avalanche Payoff Milestones

Small Overdraft
Paid Off May 2028 (Mo. 21)
High-APR Store Card
Paid Off May 2028 (Mo. 21)
Bank Credit Card
Paid Off Mar 2029 (Mo. 31)
Total Interest Paid:£2,177

Snowball vs. Avalanche: Side-by-Side Breakdown

Debt Snowball: Targets smallest balance first. Provides quick psychological wins, reducing account count faster. Debt Avalanche: Targets highest APR first. Minimizes total interest paid and mathematically shortens overall payoff time.

How to Interpret Your Results

When you run your numbers through the calculator above, compare two key figures: 1. Total Interest Paid: Shows the financial cost difference between strategies. 2. Months to Clearance: Shows how quickly each account becomes debt-free.

Which Strategy Is Right for You?

If your primary goal is saving the maximum amount of money in interest, the avalanche method is mathematically superior. If you find motivation in seeing debt accounts hit zero quickly, the snowball method offers valuable psychological momentum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Factually, the debt avalanche strategy minimizes total interest paid because it targets the highest interest rate accounts first.

Explore Related Payoff Tools & Guides

Debt Snowball CalculatorDebt Avalanche CalculatorDebt Payoff Calculator UK HubSnowball vs Avalanche Math Explained