Avalanche
Snowball
Assumptions. Interest accrues monthly on each balance; you always pay at least every minimum, and any minimum freed when a debt clears rolls into the next one. If a debt's minimum does not cover its own interest and no extra reaches it, it will never be repaid — raise the extra payment.
Debt is only half of the picture.
Manticore Finance tracks what you owe alongside what you own, so a plan to pay down debt shows up in your net worth and long-term projections — not on a sticky note.
Avalanche vs snowball — what's the difference?
Both methods pay every minimum, then throw all your spare cash at one debt until it's gone, then roll that freed-up money onto the next. They differ only in the order:
The avalanche method targets the highest interest rate first. It is mathematically optimal — it always clears your debt in the least time and for the least interest, because it kills your most expensive debt soonest.
The snowball method targets the smallest balance first. It usually costs a little more interest, but it clears whole debts quickly, and that visible progress is what keeps many people going. The best method is the one you'll actually stick to.
How to use it
Add each debt with its balance, interest rate (APR) and minimum monthly payment, then set the extra amount you can put toward debt each month. The calculator runs both strategies and shows which gets you debt-free sooner and which saves more interest. Try raising the extra payment to see how dramatically it shortens the timeline.