Why not just pick the lowest monthly payment?

A lower payment often means a longer term or a smaller down payment — which can raise total interest and slow equity build. The table puts payment, interest, payoff timing, and cash required in one view so the tradeoff is visible.

Are the default rates current market rates?

No. They are placeholders for illustration. Swap in rates from your lender quote.

Does the shareable link store my data on your servers?

No. Inputs sit in the URL query string and run in your browser. Clear the query string and the shared state is gone.

Mortgage Scenario Comparison Calculator

Put up to three loan setups side by side and compare monthly housing cost, lifetime interest, payoff date, and principal paid after 5 and 10 years. The cheapest monthly payment is not always the cheapest loan overall.

What this comparison shows

Each column is a full loan: price, down payment, rate, term, taxes, insurance, HOA, optional PMI, and optional extra principal or a first-month lump sum. Results use the same payment and amortization math as the mortgage calculator and amortization calculator.

Down payment size changes the loan amount and can turn PMI on or off. Term mainly changes the required payment and how long interest runs. Rate affects both. Looking only at the monthly payment hides those differences — see also 15-year vs 30-year mortgages and how PMI works.

Example using the default columns

The starter set uses a $400,000 home and an example 6.75% note rate. Column one is a 30-year loan with $80,000 down. Column two keeps price and rate but switches to 15 years — higher monthly P&I, usually much less total interest. Column three stays on 30 years with a larger down payment, which shrinks the loan and can drop estimated PMI when LTV is at or below 80%.

Edit any field to match a real quote. Use the mortgage payment calculator when you only need P&I, or the PMI calculator for a focused LTV and insurance estimate.

Assumptions and limits

Fixed-rate, fully amortizing loans only.
Estimated PMI until 80% LTV uses a constant monthly PMI amount while the balance stays above 80% of the original home value. Actual PMI pricing and cancellation timing can vary by lender, loan terms, payment history, property value, and applicable mortgage-insurance rules — this is not a guarantee of cancellation timing, and FHA mortgage insurance is not modeled as conventional PMI.
Taxes, insurance, and HOA are user-entered annual/monthly amounts divided evenly.
Results are educational estimates, not a loan offer or advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

: A lower payment often means a longer term or a smaller down payment — which can raise total interest and slow equity build. The table puts payment, interest, payoff timing, and cash required in one view so the tradeoff is visible.
: No. They are placeholders for illustration. Swap in rates from your lender quote.
: No. Inputs sit in the URL query string and run in your browser. Clear the query string and the shared state is gone.