One file, no sign-up, no email. Put in your debts, pick snowball or avalanche, and it gives you the month you'll be debt-free, how much interest you'll pay and when each debt is gone.
Download the spreadsheet (.xlsx, 150 KB)
- Works in Excel, Google Sheets (File, Import, upload the file) and Apple Numbers.
- Up to 10 debts: credit cards, store cards, car loans, student loans, anything with a balance, a rate and a minimum.
- Snowball or avalanche with one switch, so you can compare both on your own numbers.
- A month-by-month plan for up to 30 years, with the minimum and the extra going to each debt.
- Plain formulas, no macros, nothing hidden. You can see how every number is worked out.
How to use it
- Open the "Start here" tab and replace the 4 example debts with yours: name, balance, interest rate (APR) and minimum payment.
- Put in the extra you can pay each month on top of the minimums. Even 50 makes a real difference.
- Pick Snowball or Avalanche. The result and the payoff order update right away.
- The "Plan" tab shows every month: what goes to each debt and what's left.
Snowball or avalanche, quickly
Snowball pays the smallest balance first, so you close accounts sooner and see progress early. Avalanche pays the highest rate first, which costs less interest. When a debt is paid off, its minimum rolls into the next one, that's the snowball part. With the example numbers in the file both orders happen to be the same, so change a rate and flip the switch to see them split. The snowball vs avalanche article goes through a worked example.
What it can't do
Interest is worked out monthly (APR divided by 12). Card issuers calculate daily and loans have their own rules, so treat the dates as a close estimate, not a statement. It doesn't handle 0% promo periods that end, and it won't remind you when a payment is due.
The same plan on your phone
If you'd rather not update a spreadsheet every month, Kapitech does the same plan on your iPhone, with 0% promo end dates, payment reminders and a widget that shows your debt-free date. It never asks for your bank login. It's free to download, and the free version covers 3 debts.
Want to try numbers in the browser first? The debt payoff calculator does it without a download.