Introduction
A biweekly mortgage calculator helps you see how much money and time you can save by making mortgage payments every two weeks instead of once a month. With a standard monthly plan, you make 12 payments per year. With a biweekly plan, you make 26 half-payments, which equals 13 full payments per year. That one extra payment each year goes straight toward your loan balance, helping you pay off your mortgage faster and spend less on interest. Use this biweekly mortgage calculator to compare your current monthly payment schedule with a biweekly option and find out exactly how many years you can cut off your loan and how many dollars you can keep in your pocket.
How to use our Biweekly Mortgage Calculator
Enter your mortgage details below to see how much time and money you can save by switching from monthly payments to biweekly payments. The calculator will show you your biweekly payment amount, total interest saved, and how many years sooner you can pay off your loan.
Loan Amount: Type in the total amount of money you borrowed for your home. This is the original size of your mortgage, not counting any payments you have already made.
Interest Rate: Enter the annual interest rate on your mortgage. You can find this number on your loan documents. Type it as a percentage, such as 6.5 for 6.5%.
Loan Term: Choose the length of your mortgage in years. Most home loans are 15 or 30 years long.1 This is the number of years you agreed to pay back the loan.
Extra Payment (optional): If you want to pay a little more with each biweekly payment, enter that amount here. Even a small extra amount can help you pay off your mortgage much faster and save more on interest.
What Is a Biweekly Mortgage Payment?
A biweekly mortgage payment means you pay half of your normal monthly mortgage amount every two weeks instead of making one full payment each month. Because there are 52 weeks in a year, you end up making 26 half-payments. That equals 13 full monthly payments per year instead of the usual 12. The extra payment goes straight toward your loan's principal balance, which reduces the total interest you owe and helps you pay off your mortgage years ahead of schedule.
How Does a Biweekly Payment Schedule Save Money?
Mortgage interest is calculated on your remaining principal balance. Every time you lower that balance, you reduce the amount of interest that builds up. With a biweekly plan, you're making that one extra payment each year without a big hit to your budget. Over the life of a 30-year loan, this simple change can save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest and cut roughly 4 to 6 years off your loan term, depending on your interest rate and balance. Because each month's interest is charged on the balance you still owe, every dollar of principal you pay early removes interest from every month that follows.
Accelerated vs. Non-Accelerated Biweekly Payments
Not all biweekly payment plans are the same. There are two types you should know about:
- Accelerated biweekly: Your monthly payment is divided by 2, and you pay that amount every two weeks. Since 26 half-payments add up to more than 12 full monthly payments, you pay extra principal each year. This is the method that saves you money.
- Non-accelerated biweekly: Your annual payment total (monthly payment × 12) is divided by 26. You still pay every two weeks, but the yearly cost is the same as making 12 monthly payments. This method offers no savings at all. It just changes when you pay, not how much.
When lenders or third-party services offer a "biweekly payment program," make sure you understand which type they are using. The accelerated version is the only one that actually reduces your loan term and interest costs.
Things to Consider Before Switching to Biweekly Payments
Before you start a biweekly payment plan, keep a few things in mind:
- Check with your lender. Some mortgage servicers do not accept biweekly payments directly. They may hold your half-payment until the second one arrives, which means you don't get any benefit from paying early. Ask your lender if they apply each payment right away.
- Watch out for fees. Some third-party companies offer to manage biweekly payments for you but charge setup fees or monthly service fees. You can often get the same result for free by simply making one extra mortgage payment each year or adding 1/12 of your monthly payment to each regular payment.
- Make sure extra payments go to principal. When you send extra money, tell your lender to apply it to your principal balance, not to the next month's payment. This is what actually reduces your interest over time. Check your loan for a prepayment penalty too: not all mortgages have one, and one does not normally apply to extra principal paid in small amounts, but it is worth confirming.2
- Consider your overall finances. Paying off your mortgage faster is great, but not if it means you can't cover other important needs like an emergency fund, retirement savings, or high-interest debt. Make sure the extra payment fits comfortably in your budget.
- Compare to refinancing. If your current interest rate is high, refinancing your mortgage to a lower rate may save you even more than switching to biweekly payments alone. Consider running both scenarios to find the best strategy.
Who Benefits Most from Biweekly Mortgage Payments?
Biweekly payments work especially well for people who get paid every two weeks. Aligning your mortgage payment with your paycheck schedule makes budgeting easier. Homeowners with higher interest rates also see bigger savings because more of each payment goes toward interest in the early years of the loan. If you have a long remaining loan term, such as 25 or 30 years, extra principal payments have more months of interest left to remove, leading to greater total savings. Before committing, it's also wise to check your debt-to-income ratio to make sure the accelerated schedule is sustainable alongside your other financial obligations.