Pay off your mortgage early or invest the money?

With these numbers, investing leaves you with about €31,949 more at the end of the 20-year horizon. That comparison already accounts for investing the freed-up monthly payment once the mortgage is paid off early.

Yes: both paths use the same monthly extra amount and end at the same point in time (the original remaining term of your mortgage). If you pay off early, whatever you stop paying each month gets invested for the rest of the horizon too — it isn't left idle.

Paying off your mortgage early gives you a guaranteed, risk-free return equal to your interest rate (3% here) — you know exactly what you save. Investing gives you an expected return (7% here) that is never guaranteed: markets go up and down, and the real outcome could be higher or lower than this simulation.

Roughly, yes — every euro you pay down early stops accruing interest at your mortgage's rate, which is why comparing it against an investment's expected return is the right framing. This calculator computes the exact interest saved with a standard amortization schedule, not an approximation.

Not necessarily. Paying down debt reduces risk and financial stress with certainty; investing keeps your money liquid and accessible, but exposed to market swings. Many people do a bit of both. This tool shows you the numbers — the trade-off between certainty and expected return is a personal decision.