Best Apps for Paying Off Credit Card Debt in 2026

Credit card debt is expensive. With average APRs above 20%, every month you carry a balance costs real money. The right app can help you build a plan, pick the best strategy, and track your progress until every card is at zero. Here are the best tools for the job.

Why Credit Card Debt Needs a Strategy

When you have multiple credit cards with different balances and interest rates, paying them off “evenly” is usually the worst approach. A structured strategy — like snowball or avalanche — directs your extra payments where they’ll have the most impact.

The avalanche method is especially powerful for credit card debt because the interest rate differences between cards can be significant. Targeting the 24% card before the 15% card saves you real money.

App Comparison

App	Strategies	Price	Platforms	Bank Sync	Best For
Ascent	9	$29.99 lifetime	iOS only	No	Most strategy options
Debt Payoff Planner	3	Free / $2/mo	iOS, Android	No	Simple and affordable
YNAB	Manual setup	$14/month	iOS, Android, Web	Yes	Budgeting + debt tracking
Undebt.it	8	Free / $12/year	Web	No	Best free strategy tool
Tally	Automated	Varies	iOS, Android	Yes (manages payments)	Hands-off optimization
Rocket Money	None	Free / $6-12/mo	iOS, Android	Yes	Finding money to pay debt

Detailed Reviews

Ascent — Best for Strategy Exploration

Ascent gives you nine payoff strategies to compare with your actual credit card numbers. Beyond snowball and avalanche, you can try stress-based prioritization (target the card causing you the most anxiety), highest-balance-first, and several other approaches. The what-if tool lets you see how adding even $50/month changes your payoff date.

For credit card debt specifically, the ability to compare strategies is valuable because card APRs vary widely. You might discover that a hybrid approach saves more than pure snowball or avalanche.

Strengths: Nine strategies, what-if scenarios, partner sync for couples, one-time purchase. Weaknesses: iOS only, no bank sync, manual entry for balance updates. Best for: iPhone users who want to compare multiple strategies and find the optimal payoff order.

Debt Payoff Planner — Best for Getting Started Quickly

Debt Payoff Planner gets you up and running in minutes. Add your credit cards, choose snowball or avalanche, and see your payoff timeline. The interface is clean and focused — no clutter, no confusion.

For most people with credit card debt, snowball or avalanche is the right strategy. You don’t need nine options. Debt Payoff Planner gives you the essentials at the lowest price.

Strengths: Free tier works well, cross-platform, fast setup, affordable Pro tier. Weaknesses: Only three strategies, no partner features, no bank sync. Best for: People who want a straightforward payoff tracker without extra complexity.

YNAB — Best for Stopping New Debt While Paying Off Old

Here’s a hard truth about credit card debt: many people pay down cards and then run them back up. YNAB addresses this by giving you a complete budgeting system. When every dollar has a job, impulsive spending drops — and that’s the real key to staying out of credit card debt for good.

You can track debt payoff within YNAB by creating loan accounts for each card and setting debt payoff goals. It requires more setup than a dedicated debt app, but you get a full financial system in return.

Strengths: Bank sync, comprehensive budgeting prevents new debt, works everywhere, strong community. Weaknesses: $14/month, steeper learning curve, debt strategies require manual configuration. Best for: People who need help with both paying off debt and controlling spending.

Undebt.it — Best Free Strategy Tool

Undebt.it gives you eight payoff strategies for free in your web browser. For credit card debt, you can compare snowball, avalanche, highest balance, lowest balance, and more. The month-by-month projections show exactly when each card will be paid off and how much interest you’ll pay total.

It’s not as polished as a native app, but the strategy depth rivals paid tools.

Strengths: Eight strategies, free tier is very capable, $12/year for premium features, works on any device. Weaknesses: Web-only, no push notifications, less polished mobile experience. Best for: People who want maximum strategy options without paying much (or anything).

Tally — Best for Hands-Off Management

Tally takes a different approach. Instead of showing you a plan, it manages your credit card payments directly. Tally extends you a lower-interest line of credit, pays your cards for you (on time, optimized for minimum interest), and you make one payment to Tally.

It’s the most hands-off option — Tally handles the strategy automatically. But you’re adding another form of credit, and not everyone qualifies for a competitive rate.

Strengths: Fully automated, prevents late payments, optimizes interest savings, minimal effort. Weaknesses: Adds a new credit line, rate depends on your credit score, less control over strategy, not available in all states. Best for: People who want someone else to handle the optimization and are comfortable with automated management.

Rocket Money — Best for Finding Extra Payment Money

Rocket Money isn’t a debt payoff tool, but it’s a great companion to one. It scans your accounts for subscriptions you might want to cancel, tracks bills, and even negotiates lower rates on services like cable and internet. The money you save can go straight toward credit card payments.

Strengths: Subscription cancellation, bill negotiation, spending insights, bank sync. Weaknesses: Not a debt payoff tool, no strategies or projections, premium pricing varies. Best for: Finding extra money to accelerate your payoff plan.

The Best Approach for Credit Card Debt

Credit card debt responds best to a clear strategy plus consistent extra payments. Here’s a framework:

1. List your cards with balances, APRs, and minimum payments.
2. Pick a strategy. If your cards have very different APRs, avalanche likely saves the most. If you need motivation from quick wins, snowball works great. Use Ascent or Undebt.it to compare.
3. Find extra money. Use Rocket Money or review your budget for subscriptions and expenses you can cut. Even $50/month extra makes a meaningful difference.
4. Track your progress. Use Debt Payoff Planner, Ascent, or Undebt.it to monitor your plan and celebrate milestones.
5. Don’t add new debt. This is the hardest part. Consider using YNAB to build a budget that prevents new credit card spending while you pay off old balances.

Our Recommendation

For most people with credit card debt, Debt Payoff Planner is the easiest starting point — it’s free, simple, and gets you a plan in minutes.

If you want to dig deeper into strategy comparison, Ascent (iOS) or Undebt.it (any platform) gives you the tools to find the optimal approach.

If your real challenge is overspending and running up new debt, YNAB addresses the root cause while helping you pay off existing balances.

The best time to start was before the debt got this big. The second-best time is right now. Pick a tool, pick a strategy, and make your first extra payment.