Avalanche vs Snowball: the Honest Comparison
Both methods start identically — pay the minimum on every debt, then aim all extra money at one target. The Avalanche targets the highest interest rate; when that debt dies, its entire payment rolls down to the next-highest rate. The Snowball targets the smallest balance for fast wins, rolling each freed payment into the next-smallest. Avalanche is mathematically unbeatable — it always minimizes total interest — but behavioral research keeps finding that snowballers finish more often, because crossing a debt off the list every few months is powerful motivation.
This calculator runs a true month-by-month simulation of your actual debts under both strategies, so the trade-off stops being abstract: you see precisely how many months and how much interest the motivation of the snowball costs. If the difference is small, take the wins; if it's large, let the number talk you into the avalanche. To plan the rest of the picture, check what a loan really costs with the EMI Calculator, test what salary you'd need with the Loan Affordability Calculator, and redirect freed payments into a SIP the month you're done.