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Snowball vs Avalanche Calculator UK

Compare two popular debt payoff methods side by side. Enter each loan, credit card or finance balance, add the APR and minimum payment, then see which approach gets you debt free sooner and which one costs less.

Debt inputs

Total debt entered £29,050.00
Number of debts 4
Extra monthly payment £50.00
The tool assumes you pay every listed minimum each month, then direct this extra payment to either the smallest balance first (snowball) or the highest APR first (avalanche).

If the checkbox is on, minimum payments from cleared debts are rolled into the next target debt.

How the two methods differ

Snowball

Pay minimums on everything, then focus extra money on the smallest balance first. As each balance disappears, you roll that payment into the next debt.

Popular for motivation

Avalanche

Pay minimums on everything, then focus extra money on the highest APR first. This usually minimises interest and often clears debts slightly faster too.

Popular for cost efficiency

Headline result

Overall takeaway Avalanche costs less in interest and clears the debts faster.
Total debt modelled £29,050.00
Extra interest saved £4,857.59
Time difference 1 year
Weighted average APR 9.93%

Method comparison

Metric Snowball Avalanche
Debt-free in 9 years 8 years
Total interest paid £15,886.05 £11,028.46
Total amount paid £44,936.05 £40,078.46
Extra payment used £50.00/month £50.00/month
Warnings None from current inputs None from current inputs

Debt payoff order

Snowball debt Paid off by Interest paid
Credit card 2 years 9 months £444.17
Loan 5 years 11 months £2,039.82
Store card 8 years 1 month £8,832.05
Mortgage 9 years £4,570.01
Avalanche debt Paid off by Interest paid
Store card 3 years 10 months £2,882.00
Credit card 4 years 10 months £1,295.85
Loan 6 years 4 months £2,561.42
Mortgage 8 years £4,289.19

Balance over time snapshot

Month Snowball balance Snowball target Interest this period
1 £28,870.37 Credit card £240.37
2 £28,689.62 Credit card £239.25
3 £28,507.73 Credit card £238.11
4 £28,324.69 Credit card £236.96
5 £28,140.49 Credit card £235.80
6 £27,955.13 Credit card £234.64
7 £27,768.59 Credit card £233.46
8 £27,580.87 Credit card £232.28
9 £27,391.95 Credit card £231.08
10 £27,201.83 Credit card £229.88
11 £27,010.48 Credit card £228.65
12 £26,817.92 Credit card £227.44
13 £26,624.12 Credit card £226.20
14 £26,429.06 Credit card £224.94
15 £26,232.74 Credit card £223.68
16 £26,035.14 Credit card £222.40
17 £25,836.26 Credit card £221.12
18 £25,636.08 Credit card £219.82
19 £25,434.59 Credit card £218.51
20 £25,231.79 Credit card £217.20
21 £25,027.65 Credit card £215.86
22 £24,822.16 Credit card £214.51
23 £24,615.33 Credit card £213.17
24 £24,407.12 Credit card £211.79
25 £24,197.52 Credit card £210.40
26 £23,986.52 Credit card £209.00
27 £23,774.12 Credit card £207.60
28 £23,560.30 Credit card £206.18
29 £23,345.05 Credit card £204.75
30 £23,128.34 Credit card £203.29
31 £22,910.18 Credit card £201.84
32 £22,690.53 Credit card £200.35
33 £22,469.39 Loan £198.86
34 £22,246.80 Loan £197.41
35 £22,022.82 Loan £196.02
36 £21,797.44 Loan £194.62
42 £20,415.02 Loan £1,137.58
48 £18,979.08 Loan £1,084.06
54 £17,486.85 Loan £1,027.77
60 £15,935.42 Loan £968.57
66 £14,321.68 Loan £906.26
72 £12,647.30 Store card £839.61
78 £10,855.62 Store card £728.32
84 £8,917.10 Store card £581.48
90 £6,811.53 Store card £414.43
96 £4,515.51 Store card £223.98
102 £2,179.26 Mortgage £80.80
108 £0.00 Debt-free £25.75
Month Avalanche balance Avalanche target Interest this period
1 £28,870.37 Store card £240.37
2 £28,689.00 Store card £238.63
3 £28,505.84 Store card £236.84
4 £28,320.86 Store card £235.02
5 £28,134.02 Store card £233.16
6 £27,945.30 Store card £231.28
7 £27,754.65 Store card £229.35
8 £27,562.04 Store card £227.39
9 £27,367.43 Store card £225.39
10 £27,170.79 Store card £223.36
11 £26,972.06 Store card £221.27
12 £26,771.23 Store card £219.17
13 £26,568.23 Store card £217.00
14 £26,363.02 Store card £214.79
15 £26,155.56 Store card £212.54
16 £25,945.81 Store card £210.25
17 £25,733.72 Store card £207.91
18 £25,519.23 Store card £205.51
19 £25,302.31 Store card £203.08
20 £25,082.91 Store card £200.60
21 £24,860.97 Store card £198.06
22 £24,636.44 Store card £195.47
23 £24,409.27 Store card £192.83
24 £24,179.41 Store card £190.14
25 £23,946.79 Store card £187.38
26 £23,711.35 Store card £184.56
27 £23,473.04 Store card £181.69
28 £23,231.81 Store card £178.77
29 £22,987.60 Store card £175.79
30 £22,740.33 Store card £172.73
31 £22,489.95 Store card £169.62
32 £22,236.38 Store card £166.43
33 £21,979.55 Store card £163.17
34 £21,719.40 Store card £159.85
35 £21,455.87 Store card £156.47
36 £21,188.87 Store card £153.00
42 £19,509.82 Store card £840.95
48 £17,688.80 Credit card £698.98
54 £15,759.96 Credit card £591.16
60 £13,733.72 Loan £493.76
66 £11,611.84 Loan £398.12
72 £9,391.56 Loan £299.72
78 £7,072.16 Mortgage £199.87
84 £4,689.05 Mortgage £136.89
90 £2,251.79 Mortgage £82.74
96 £0.00 Debt-free £27.40

Assumptions and explanation

  • Interest is estimated using a simple monthly rate based on the APR entered for each debt.
  • Minimum payments are paid to every debt each month before any extra payment is directed to a target debt.
  • Snowball targets the smallest balance first. Avalanche targets the highest APR first.
  • Any configured extra payment is reused every month, and minimum payments from cleared debts are rolled into the remaining target debt.
  • This is a planning tool and does not model penalty fees, changing variable rates, or promotional 0% expiry dates.

What is the snowball method?

The snowball method focuses your extra money on the smallest balance first while keeping up with the minimums on every other debt. Many people like it because you can remove accounts faster and build momentum early.

What is the avalanche method?

The avalanche method focuses your extra money on the highest interest rate first. This usually reduces the total interest cost and is often the mathematically cheapest route.

Why people choose one or the other

Snowball is often chosen for motivation and simpler progress wins. Avalanche is often chosen to minimise interest and reduce wasted borrowing cost. The best option is the one you are most likely to stick with consistently.

Important note

This calculator is designed for planning and education. Real lenders may use daily interest, fees, changing minimums, promotional periods or charges that are not reflected here.

This calculator provides general estimates only and does not constitute financial, tax, debt, or legal advice.