The whole story, as text
Avalanche or snowball: which pays off faster on my numbers?
Three debts. $200 extra a month. A card with $6,500 at 24.99%, a card with $3,200 at 19.99%, a loan with $8,000 at 14%. Minimums come to $563 a month; you add $200. Snowball pays the smallest balance first. Avalanche pays the highest rate first. How much more does snowball cost in interest?
The answer
$553. Avalanche: $4,304 in interest, done in 29 months. Snowball: $4,857, 30 months.
Why
Avalanche aims the extra at the highest rate, so less interest piles up each month. The order matters less than the extra. $200 a month beats minimums alone by $3,240 and 16 months. Snowball's one advantage: Its first debt is gone by month 13. Avalanche clears its first by month 21. One balance gone early is a visible win, and the reason people stick with snowball.
One move
Pick the order you will stick to. Keep the $200. Avalanche: 29 months, $4,304 interest. Snowball: 30 months, $4,857 interest. Snowball costs $553 more and finishes 1 month later. Minimums only: $7,545 over 45 months. Minimums are held at today's amounts. Cards usually shrink them as the balance falls, which stretches everything out.
The full consolidate-or-pay-faster tool takes all of your debts, in either order, with or without a consolidation offer.
Yours
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The longer read
Both methods do the same thing: pay every minimum, then send whatever extra you have to one debt at a time, and when it is gone roll its minimum onto the next. They differ only in the order. Avalanche goes highest rate first. Snowball goes smallest balance first. Avalanche always costs the same or less. Snowball gets the first debt to zero sooner. How far apart they are depends on your numbers, and sometimes it is not far.
A worked example
Three debts: a card with $6,500.00 at 24.99% (minimum $195.00), a card with $3,200.00 at 19.99% (minimum $96.00), and a personal loan with $8,000.00 at 14% (payment $272.00). Minimums total $563.00; you add $200.00 a month.
| Line | Avalanche: highest rate first | Snowball: smallest balance first |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Card A, then Card B, then the loan | Card B, then the loan, then Card A |
| First debt cleared | Card A, month 21 | Card B, month 13 |
| Debt-free in | 29 months | 30 months |
| Interest paid | $4,304.22 | $4,857.02 |
Avalanche saves $552.80 and finishes a month sooner. Snowball clears its first debt eight months earlier, which is the reason people choose it: one balance gone by month 13 is a visible result. Either way, paying $200.00 extra beats minimums only by more than $2,700 and 15 months. The order matters less than the extra.
When the gap is small, and when it is not
- Rates close together: the two orders give nearly the same result, and snowball’s early win costs almost nothing.
- Smallest balance also carries the highest rate: the two orders are the same.
- Big balance at the highest rate: avalanche’s advantage grows. Snowball can leave the most expensive debt to last for years.
Questions to ask yourself
- Which matters more to me right now: the lowest total cost, or one debt gone soon?
- Will I keep the extra payment going for two or three years either way?
- Do any of these debts charge a fee for paying extra?
See it with your own numbers
Enter your debts and an extra amount in Consolidate or pay faster? and switch the order between highest rate and smallest balance. The table shows when each debt is cleared under each order, and the months and interest for both.
Related: Debt payoff simulation. Glossary: avalanche method, snowball method, rolling minimums.
Educational tool, not advice.
Written and reviewed by Riverbend Crossroads Digital LLC, Sunday, September 6, 2026. Figures from the Show Real Cost engine, computed exactly and shown to the cent. Educational, not advice; your lender's disclosures are the authoritative figures. How we calculate · Corrections.