Snowball vs. Avalanche, Without the Sales Pitch
Most calculators are built by someone who has already decided which method you should use. This one shows both, including the part each side leaves out.
Snowball smallest balance first
Avalanche highest rate first
How to read this
The avalanche targets your highest interest rate first. It is always the cheaper method on paper, because it kills expensive debt sooner. Nobody disputes this.
The snowball targets your smallest balance first. It usually costs a bit more in interest, and it usually gets a debt fully gone sooner. That matters more than it sounds: the most common point of failure in a debt plan is the stretch before anything visibly changes.
Which one is right depends on numbers this tool can show you and on things it can't. If the interest gap is small, the early win is probably worth it. If it's large, the math deserves more weight. A plan you follow beats a plan that's optimal, but you should know what you're choosing.
One thing this tool assumes: your minimum payments stay level and you don't add new debt. Credit card minimums usually shrink as the balance falls, which makes real-world payoff slightly slower than any calculator shows.