Avalanche pays the highest APR first and costs the least in interest. Snowball pays the smallest balance first and gives quicker wins. Enter your debts and your extra monthly payment to see the months and the interest for both, side by side. Then pick the one you will stick to.
Both pay the minimum on every debt each month and put the extra on one target debt.
Avalanche targets the highest APR. Mathematically the cheapest.
Snowball targets the smallest balance. The first debt disappears fastest, and its minimum payment rolls into the next target.
Either way, when a debt clears, its payment joins the extra. That rolling payment is what makes the last debts go quickly.
Which should you choose?
If the calculator shows a small difference, pick the snowball; the early win is worth more than a few pounds. If avalanche saves hundreds, that is real money, and the right answer is to run avalanche and find your motivation elsewhere. Either method beats paying minimums everywhere, which is the expensive default.
Two things that beat both
A 0% balance transfer for the high-APR card, if you can get one. Then the 0% payoff calculator tells you what to pay to clear it before the deal ends.
Finding the extra payment in the first place. Import your bank CSV into The Income Tracker; the subscriptions and the eating-out total usually hold it.
The Income TrackerTrack it free. No account, no bank login.
What is the difference between debt snowball and debt avalanche?
Snowball pays off the smallest balance first for quick wins; avalanche pays the highest interest rate first to minimise the interest you pay. Both pay minimums on everything else.
Which method saves more money?
Avalanche, almost always, because the expensive debt shrinks first. The calculator shows how much for your numbers.
Which method is better for motivation?
Snowball. Clearing a whole debt in the first few months keeps people going. If the interest difference is small, choose it.
Does the calculator handle a 0% card?
Yes. Enter 0 as the APR. Avalanche will leave it until last, which is correct as long as you clear it before the promotional rate ends.