Best DNA Test for 2024
The three services above are our top picks for the best DNA test. They weren’t the only ones we tested. Here are some additional options, none of which outperformed 23andMe, Ancestry, or FamilyTreeDNA in any significant way.
MyHeritage
MyHeritage offers a free tier of service that includes some basic family tree building features and access to snippets of historical documents. It also includes a report of your genetic makeup across the company’s 42 supported ethnicities, identifying relatives and, where possible, connecting to them.
We found MyHeritage’s user interface to be much less intuitive and harder to navigate than some others. It’s one of the few companies that offers a comprehensive research database that includes historical documents, DNA analysis, and health checks, but we found the integration between the two to be a bit clunky. In 2018, MyHeritage suffered a security breach that exposed the email addresses and hashed passwords of over 92 million users.
Living DNA
LivingDNA breaks down its offerings differently than others. Your Ancestry DNA kit provides a breakdown of your ancestry in 150 geographic regions, along with information on your maternal and paternal haplogroups and access to the company’s genetic matching tool. The $109 “well-being package” includes reports on your physiological compatibility with vitamins, food and exercise. The $169 Wellbeing and Ancestry gives you everything.
Although the company does not sell or share data, it has a terribly Limited family match database; a company representative declined to give me a specific number but said it contained fewer than 1 million profiles. If you’re looking to identify and connect with family members, there are better choices on the market.
Whole genome sequencing
There are several companies, including Full names, Veritas Genetics, Nebula genomics And Dante Laboratoriesthat can sequence all of your DNA — otherwise known as your genome. This level of analysis is only suitable for advanced users. Not only is it expensive — these tests can cost thousands of dollars in some cases — it requires an advanced understanding of both genetics and a range of technical tools needed to explore and interpret your results. The least expensive full genome tests cost about $250.
For most people, the primary reason to sequence your whole genome is to delve deeply into your genetic health prospects. You can find out your personal risk factors for disease, drug sensitivities, and your carrier status; that is, what you might pass on to your children. All of these efforts can also be undertaken (to a lesser extent) with some of the more affordable options described above. We recommend starting with Nebula Genomics. You can also upload an existing DNA sequence from Ancestry or the 23andMe DNA database and receive Nebula’s reports at a discounted price.
