Debt snowball calculator

List your debts and what you can pay each month. The calculator pays every minimum, puts the rest on your smallest balance, and rolls each freed-up payment into the next debt, so you can see your debt-free date and the order your debts disappear.

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Debt Sunset turns these numbers into a plan you can follow: every card and loan, real billing cycles, what to pay each month, and progress as balances fall. Free for 30 days, no card needed.

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How the debt snowball works

The same three debts, paid smallest balance first. Every freed-up payment rolls into the next debt, so the payment grows like a snowball.

  1. Pay this first

    Visa

    Balance
    $500
    Interest rate
    22.9%

    $169a month

    $44 minimum + $125 extra

    Paid off! Its $169 rolls on

  2. Next

    Store card

    Balance
    $2,500
    Interest rate
    29.9%

    $262a month

    $93 minimum + $169 rolled over

    Paid off! Its $262 rolls on

  3. Then this

    Car loan

    Balance
    $8,000
    Interest rate
    7.9%

    $457a month

    $195 minimum + $262 rolled over

The snowball is built for motivation: small debts vanish early, and each win frees up money for the next. It can cost more interest than the avalanche method when your largest debts also carry the highest rates. Switch the strategy in the calculator to compare.

Questions

Is the snowball or the avalanche better?

The avalanche almost always pays less interest; the snowball clears individual debts sooner. The best plan is the one you will stick with. Run both here with your own numbers: often the gap is smaller than people expect.

What should I enter as my monthly payment?

The total you can put toward these debts each month, including the minimums. The calculator shows what your minimums add up to, so you can see how much extra you are adding.

Should I include my mortgage or car loan?

Most people leave out the mortgage and include credit cards, personal loans, medical bills and car loans. Include whatever you want to be free of first.

How are minimum payments estimated?

On the high side, on purpose: the greater of $41, 2% of the balance, or 1% of the balance plus that month’s interest, rounded up with a 5% margin. Most statements ask for the same or less. Once you add your debts, Debt Sunset uses each card issuer’s own published rule, still with that margin.

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Estimates assume fixed APRs, no new charges and on-time payments, with interest charged monthly at APR ÷ 12. Card issuers calculate interest daily, so real totals can differ slightly. A calculator, not financial advice.