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A cheek swab to determine your ancestors? Is a little bit of spit all that’s keeping the world from knowing that you’ve got some Albert Einstein in your DNA? Stop the madness!
Jokes aside, you’ve heard all about the craze about at-home DNA tests, and you’re interested in digging deeper into your family heritage. But – you’re confused where to start? Don’t worry, we’re here to help you discover your past with affordable and easy at-home DNA tests.
Why Should I Get My DNA Tested?
When most of us think of DNA, we picture crime scenes from TV shows like “CSI” or a homicide trial in which DNA evidence convicts a killer. Forensic testing aside, there are also many practical applications for DNA testing. And more people are getting their DNA tested now than ever before, thanks to scientific advances and the growing popularity of at-home DNA testing kits.
What are some of the reasons for DNA testing? And just how does DNA testing work? We’ll help you unravel the mystery of DNA testing.
How Do DNA Tests Work?
DNA stands for DeoxyriboNucleic Acid, and everyone’s DNA is unique. Most DNA tests involve the collection of saliva from the inside of your cheek using a simple cotton swab. The swab then goes to the lab for analysis. Not every DNA test, however, is the same, and not every test’s design finds the same information from your DNA. It’s important to do your research about the type of test and the lab processing your DNA to make sure they’re testing your DNA for the specific information you’re looking for.
What Can DNA Tests Reveal?
Here are the major types of DNA testing. We often get asked which test is best for revealing what type of information. Every DNA testing company has its own unique strengths and thus the results are better for certain types of data.
DNA Ancestry Test
DNA testing for ancestry is growing in popularity as more and more people want to know about their family history. A DNA ethnicity test can help you discover your ethnic origins from around the world. And DNA testing for genealogy can also help you identify your ancestors and living cousins you never knew you had.
It’s important to note that as of today, the majority of DNA testing technology revolves around ancestry, so that’s the focus of this article. We’ll be updating and adding other DNA tests (like paternity, which is linked below) as the market evolves.
DNA Paternity Test
After ancestry, one of the more common types of DNA tests is a paternity test, which determines the biological link between a father and child. There’s even a non-invasive prenatal paternity test available now. Read our Paternity Test Comparison for the scoop.
DNA Health Testing
DNA testing for most medical and health-related purposes is still in its infancy. Always consult your physician about these types of tests.
Genetic Testing for Cancer Risk
Most people don’t need this type of DNA testing. But some people have a higher risk of developing specific types of cancers that tend to run in the family. In these cases, a physician may test your DNA to look for gene mutations that could indicate a higher risk.
One of the better-known examples is testing for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes (breast cancer genes) in women whose mother and sister have had breast cancer.
We should note that in the case of genetic testing for a possible cancer risk, you’ll want to consult with your physician first. A lab tech usually administers this type of DNA test at your doctor’s office or hospital.
Genetic Testing for Carrier Status
Want to start a family, but you’re worried you may pass on an unwanted risk to your child? Some DNA tests can tell you if you’re a carrier for certain inherited conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, hereditary hearing loss. A positive match doesn’t mean your child will inherit the condition; it just lets you know whether you carry the gene.
Not all DNA tests are the same. A carrier status DNA test, for example, focuses on the specific markers known to be associated with certain inherited conditions. On the other hand, DNA genealogy tests focus on specific markers related to our ancestry.
Learn more in our Best DNA Testing for Health Reasons article.
DNA Test Comparison
Here’s a summary of our winners side-by-side so you can review and compare features against each other.
| Winner: Family Tree DNA | Runner Up: Ancestry DNA | Third Place: 23andMe | Living DNA | MyHeritage DNA | National Geographic Geno 2.0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website |
| Read Review | Review | Review | Review | Review | Review | Review |
| Test Type | Cheek swab | Saliva sample | Saliva sample | Cheek swab | Cheek swab | Cheek swab |
| Best For | Jewish Heritage | African Heritage | Asian Areas | British Ancestors | Fast Results | Ancient Ancestry |
| Database Size | 877,000+ | 3 Million | 5 Million | n/a | 1 Million | 800,000 |
| Price | $79-359 | $99 | $99-199 | $99 | $69 | $149.95 |
| Shipping | $12.95 | $9.95 | $9.95 | Free | Free | Free |
| Results In | 4-10 Weeks | 6-8 Weeks | 6-8 Weeks | 10-12 Weeks | 3-4 Weeks | 8-10 Weeks |
| Autosomal DNA |  | | | | | |
| mtDNA | | | | |||
| Y-Chromosome | | | Limited |
How Does at Home DNA Testing Work?
Home DNA tests (everything reviewed on this page) bring the lab to you without the intimidating equipment or crazy medical procedures. In a few simple steps, you can have your results back in no time from the comfort of your home.
Step 1: Order Your Kit
Depending on what you are looking to accomplish in the types of tests above, you’ll order your kit online from anywhere in the world (see below for our top picks).
It takes about a week to receive from the time you order. The package should arrive sealed so you can assure no one else has tampered with it.
Step 2: Set Up Online Profile
You might be anxious to get started in the sampling process, but first you’ll need to activate your kit online using a unique code provided to you.
This connects your name and contact info to your sample so you can track progress as it’s tested and view results. You’ll most likely sign a consent form and agree to their terms and conditions before getting started (for legal purposes).
Step 3: Provide DNA Sample
Now for the fun part – providing your DNA sample! Family Tree DNA (FTDNA), Living DNA and MyHeritage DNA offer cheek swab tests. AncestryDNA and 23andMe tests require you to spit in a vial.
Either way, they recommend not eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum at least one hour before to ensure a good sample. Also wash your hands before opening the test tubes to ensure a good, clean sample.
Step 4: Seal & Ship
Once your samples are complete and ready to go, seal the samples in the specimen bag, put them in the pre-paid mailing envelope, and drop the envelope in your mailbox.
Don’t forget to make sure your unique ID is on each sample so the labs have a way to track it back to your profile.
Step 5: Wait For Analysis
In an age where we can get things instantaneous, you might be anxious to get results right away.
However, given the complexity of the process of analyzing your DNA and comparing your results to other samples, expect to wait anywhere from 4-10 weeks (depending on the company).
And if you’re curious where they are in the process, you can login to track their progress.
Step 6: View & Share Your Results
To access your results, login to your online portal you created when you activated your kit (they do not mail them to you for privacy reasons). Once logged in you can view and analyze your DNA using percentages, maps and more (depending on which kit you went with).
This news story from CBS New York shows some shocking success stories about what people have recently been able to discover (or hope to uncover) thanks to at home DNA tests.
How Much Do DNA Tests Cost?
The cost varies on the type of kit you do and ranges anywhere from $79 to $300+ depending on the company. Some offer free shipping and others it’s an additional cost. But after the one-time fee to have your DNA analyzed you have access to your DNA records forever without paying a monthly fee.
From time to time, our top-ranked companies below will offer special discounts and promotions and we do our best to keep this page updated as frequently as possible whenever those sales happen so you can get the best price.
2018 Best DNA Test Winners
We chose our best DNA test for 2018 based on a number of factors, including: the types of tests they offer, DNA database size, the extent of ancestry information you can find from each test, cost, genealogy research tools and more. Read on to learn more about our top three, winners by category, and honorable mentions. Again, these companies mostly test for ancestry at this time because other aspects of DNA testing are not as evolved, so if you came here looking for the best DNA ancestry test, this list will serve your purpose.
1st | 2nd | 3rd | Jewish | Relatives | African | Asian | British | Fast Results | Ancient
Family Tree DNA Review
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Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) is the clear winner of best DNA ancestry test if you’re committed to serious genealogy research or if you want to learn as much as possible from your DNA testing. Family Tree DNA is the only service that offers all three types of tests separately: Autosomal, Y-DNA and mtDNA testing, and the test is a simple cheek swab. The Y-DNA and mtDNA tests are much more in-depth than other companies’ analysis.
They also give you the ability to transfer your data from other services and store your results for 25 years. You get the email addresses of your matches and can join targeted genealogical projects within their network.
What’s missing? Although not related to ancestry, you don’t get medical-specific DNA results, like with 23andMe. But if your focus is on your family roots, FTDNA is the best way to go.
Best For Jewish Heritage & Ethnicity
Seeking to know more about your Jewish family and where they come from? Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) compares your autosomal DNA with 60+ reference populations around the world including Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. We also recommend Family Tree DNA’s Autosomal test as the best ways to dig deeper into your ethnic background.
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Family Tree DNA Pricing
FTDNA offers several bundled packages in addition to the pricing below.
- $89 Family Finder Autosomal DNA Kit (cheek swab), Results in 4-6 weeks
- $79 mtDNA Plus DNA Kit, Results in 4-6 weeks
- $199 mtDNA Full Sequence Kit, Results in 6-8 weeks
- $169 Y37 Markers, Results in 8-10 weeks
- $268 Y67 Markers, Results in 8-10 weeks
- $359 Y111 Markers, Results in 8-10 weeks
- $12.95 shipping
- View all options
Family Tree DNA Coupon Code
Family Tree DNA often has time-sensitive coupons!
Read our in-depth FamilyTreeDNA Review
Ancestry DNA Review
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AncestryDNA, part of the wildly popular genealogical site Ancestry.com, is our number two pick for best DNA ancestry test. The company offers affordable pricing, an extremely active online community, extensive DNA ancestry database and access to millions of family trees and billions of historical records via the Ancestry website. They analyze your simple saliva test at more than 700,000 genetic markers to find your genetic matches and give you a breakdown of your ethnicity.
AncestryDNA suspended its Y-DNA and mtDNA testing, however, so you don’t have the ability to drill down as deep into your genetic profile and ancestry as you can with FTDNA, which still offers those tests. AncestryDNA recently introduced a new tool, Genetic Communities, which focuses on post-colonial North America and helps you better pinpoint where your recent ancestors lived in the U.S. and migrated from around the world.
Best For Finding Relatives & African Heritage
AncestryDNA’s test identifies potential relatives through DNA matching. It compares your results to others who have taken the AncestryDNA test, and gives you a breakdown of your ethnicity.
You can also get these results from other tests, like FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA), but we usually recommend AncestryDNA for this particular use because their DNA database is the largest (5 million people compared to less than 1 million with FTDNA). This means you’ll be more likely to find living relatives and shared ancestors. You can also use the website’s extensive historical ancestry records to try to trace your ancestors on you mother’s and father’s sides.
Wondering if you’re from a specific area of Africa, not just “West African” or “Sub-Saharan African”? Ancestry.com’s DNA test could very well be worth your while for this as well. They test for more regions in Africa than other sites, including Africa North, Africa South-Central, Hunter-Gatherers, Africa Southeastern Bantu, Benin/Togo, Cameroon/Congo, Ivory Coast/Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal, as well as the Middle East.
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Ancestry DNA Pricing
- $99 Autosomal DNA testing kit (saliva sample)
- $9.95 shipping
- Results available in 6-8 weeks
Ancestry DNA Coupon
AncestryDNA often has time-sensitive coupons!
Read our in-depth AncestryDNA Review
23andMe Review
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23andMe comes in third as our best ancestry DNA testing company for the unique services they provide. 23andMe is your best bet if you want to trace your lineage and get health-related DNA results.
They offer two testing kit types — an Autosomal Ancestry test for $99 or a Health + Ancestry test for $199.
On the ancestry side, you’ll get three reports: ethnic composition, haplogroups and Neanderthal ancestry. 23andMe’s health results include three FDA-approved genetic health risk reports (late-onset Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Hereditary Thrombophilia), 40 carrier status reports (whether you carry genes for certain health conditions), five wellness reports (lactose intolerance, for example), and more than a dozen trait reports (male bald spot, unibrow, etc.).
If you want to use your DNA results to help you trace your family tree, however, 23andMe’s research tools and genealogy community aren’t up to par with FamilyTreeDNA or Ancestry.com.
Best For Asian Areas
If you suspect you’re of Asian decent, we’d recommend 23andMe, as they have more specific regions within East Asia including Japanese, Korean, Yakut, Mongolian, Chinese, Broadly East Asian. FTDNA only tests for Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and AncestryDNA doesn’t get more specific than Asia East.
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23andMe Pricing
- $99 – Ancestry DNA test (saliva sample)
- $199 – Ancestry + Health DNA testing kit
- $9.95 shipping via 23andMe website
- Results available in 6-8 weeks
- View all options
23andMe Coupon
23andMe occasionally has time-sensitive coupons!
Read our in-depth 23andMe Review
The Rest of the Pack
These may not be in the top 3 overall, but they are winners in their respective categories.
Living DNA | MyHeritage DNA | National Geographic Geno 2.0
Living DNA Review
Living DNA, an England-based company that launched in early 2015, is a new addition to our reviews this year. They say they’re the “first truly global DNA test” because they break down ancestral origins across 80 worldwide regions (while other companies focus on an estimated 30 regions). Furthermore, they break down your roots across 21 regions in the British Isles.
If you already have a good idea that your roots are from the United Kingdom, Living DNA could be a great test for you to delve deeper into the region. Living DNA has partnered with several leading genomics, analytical, testing and research organizations, which lends them a lot of credit in our book. We’re keeping our eye on this relative newcomer to see how their reputation plays out.
Best DNA Test For British Ancestors
If you have Brit in your blood, Living DNA is your best choice for DNA testing. Based in the UK, their database is specifically geared toward the European and UK markets, making their results much more comprehensive in those regions.
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Living DNA Pricing
Out of stock DNA testing kit
- Free shipping
- Results in 10-12 weeks
Living DNA Coupon
Living DNA occasionally has time-sensitive coupons.
Read our in-depth Living DNA Review
MyHeritage DNA Review
MyHeritage is one of the most popular genealogy research and family tree websites in the world. In September 2016, they launched an autosomal DNA ancestry test at a competitive price. This DNA heritage test is similar to AncestryDNA, with slightly fewer ethnic regions identified. But MyHeritage has plans to expand their testing to 100 regions in the coming years.
Although the test is new, their testing lab holds top certification and accreditation from leading organizations. An advantage of MyHeritage DNA? You can import DNA testing results from competing companies to compare with their database.
The downside? While they have a massive database of family trees and active users, their database of DNA results is still in its early stages. But based on the popularity of this website, we anticipate their DNA database will grow quickly.
Best DNA Test For Fast Results
MyHeritage DNA typically gives you your results within 3-4 weeks, while most other testing kits take 6-8 weeks or longer.
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MyHeritage Pricing
$68.00 Autosomal DNA testing kit (cheek swab)
- Free shipping
- Results in 3-4 weeks
Read our in-depth MyHeritage DNA Review
National Geographic Geno 2.0 Review
The Geno 2.0 Next Generation DNA testing kit is best for people who want to trace their roots all the way back to ancient origins (even to Neanderthals). The test is part of the National Geographic Genographic Project, a scientific effort to analyze historic patterns in human DNA across the globe.
How does it work? You purchase and submit your simple cheek swab test, their lab runs its newest advanced DNA testing, which identifies thousands of mtDNA markers for direct maternal lineage, examines Y-DNA markers for direct paternal ancestry and analyzes more than 750,000 other ancestry-informative markers to reveal your ancestry’s regional affiliations.
The Geno 2.0 Next Gen test is expensive, and their database is relatively small which limits your research abilities. But the great thing about this test is that FTDNA allows you to upload your Geno 2.0 results into their database for free, so you can find your relatives and get additional insight on your ancestral origins. And you get the satisfaction of knowing that you’re contributing to a global historical genomic project.
The Geno 2.0 project was started in part by the folks at Family Tree DNA, our top pick for best ancestry DNA kit, and the samples are processed by the Genomics Research Center which is operated by Gene by Gene, Ltd., Family Tree DNA’s parent company.
Best DNA Test For Ancient Ancestry
The Geno 2.0 test allows you to trace your roots back hundreds or thousands of years and gives you their ancient migration patterns across countries and continents around the globe.
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National Geographic Geno 2.0 Pricing
- $149.95 DNA testing kit (cheek swab)
- Free shipping
- Results available in 8-10 weeks
What Does That Mean? DNA Test Terminology
Before we delve into the types of DNA tests (and our winners), we’re going to give you a quick break-down of the terms you’ll run into so you can understand what we’re talking about!
What Is DNA?
DNA stands for “deoxyribonucleic acid,” and everyone’s DNA is unique to the individual. More than 99 percent of your DNA is the same as everyone else’s in the world. But there are small groups of sections across each person’s genome that differ (these variations make you the unique person you are).
What Is a DNA Test?
DNA analysis looks at small sections of DNA, called “markers,” to create your DNA profile — a unique genetic fingerprint. Not every DNA test, however, is the same, and not every test’s design finds the same information from your DNA.
What Are Genetic Markers?
A genetic marker is a DNA sequence with a known location on a chromosome. Scientists use genetic markers to identify cells, individuals, populations, etc.
What Does Autosomal Mean?
Autosomal refers to a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome. People have 22 pairs of autosomes in each cell, as well as 2 sex chromosomes (X & Y in a male and X & X in a female).
What Is Shared DNA?
Two people who share identical segments of DNA share a recent common ancestor. The relationship between relatives (siblings, cousins, etc.) depends on the length and number of these identical segments.
What Is Deep Ancestry?
Deep ancestry is based on either mitochondrial DNA (maternal, or coming from your mother’s side) or Y-chromosome DNA (paternal, or coming from your father’s side), and it shows a single line of descent. It’s often referred to as a direct maternal line or direct paternal line, going back hundreds to thousands of years.
What Does Haplogroup Mean?
A haplogroup is a genetic population (group of people) who share a common ancestor on the direct paternal or maternal line.
What Is Y-Haplogroup, E3a, Q3, etc.?
Each haplogroup is assigned its own group “name,” which consists of a letter of the alphabet followed by more specific refinements indicated by additional number and letter combinations.
A Guide to Types of DNA Tests
Now that you have a better understanding of the scientific part, let’s define the various types of tests, what to look for and who can take each one. It’s important to do your research about the type of test to make sure they’re testing your DNA for the specific information you’re looking for.
Recent Ancestry: Autosomal DNA Test
An autosomal DNA test for ethnic origin matches your DNA with population samples and studies from across the globe. When you get your DNA test results back, you’ll get a report that gives you a mixture of percentages. These are your unique percentages of where your ancestors lived in defined geographical regions, i.e. 82% British Isles, 10% Eastern European, 2% Native American and so on.
Autosomal DNA tests trace back anywhere from five to ten generations on both your mother and father’s sides of the family.
Each company’s ethnicity report differs slightly by their defined global regions, how they present their data to you, and the number of population studies they use in their analysis.
Your percentages can also differ slightly because of each lab’s unique testing methods. Some autosomal tests also look at parts of your DNA going back even further.
- Who Can Take The Test: Males and females.
- What it Tests For: Autosomal DNA testing matches with other individuals based on a certain amount of shared DNA.
- What it Can Reveal: Testing can’t predict exact relationships, but you can expect to find matches as far out as 5th cousins and in some cases even further. Tests analyze shared DNA and give you your matches as well as how much DNA you have in common. Autosomal tests also identify your ethnic origins from around the world.
- How Far Back Are Results: Autosomal DNA tests trace back anywhere from five to ten generations on both your mother and father’s sides of the family.
Example: An autosomal DNA test for ethnic origin matches your DNA with population samples and studies from across the globe. When you get your DNA test results back, you’ll get a report that gives you a mixture of percentages. These are your unique percentages of where your ancestors lived in defined geographical regions, i.e. 82% British Isles, 10% Eastern European, 2% Native American and so on.
NOTE: Each company’s ethnicity report differs slightly by their defined global regions, how they present their data to you, and the number of population studies they use in their analysis. Your percentages can also differ slightly because of each lab’s unique testing methods.
Ancient Ancestry & Haplogroups: Y-DNA and Mitochondrial DNA Tests
Autosomal DNA tests look at chromosomes 1-22 that you’ve inherited from both your parents. The Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) tests can tell you where your ancestors from your direct paternal line and maternal line lived thousands of years ago. For the stone age aficionados among you, some tests can even tell you how much Neanderthal DNA you have!
Mitochondrial DNA Testing (mtDNA)
Both males and females can take an mtDNA test, which reveals your direct maternal line ancestry. MtDNA is passed down from mother to child each generation.
All humans trace back to Mitochondrial Eve, who lived in Africa an estimated 200,000 years ago. Over time, her descendants broke out into different branches called haplogroups, and an mtDNA test can predict your mtDNA haplogroup.
- Who Can Take The Test: Males and females.
- What it Tests For: mtDNA tests along the direct maternal line, examining genetic markers on your mtDNA, which is passed down from mother to child each generation.
- What it Can Reveal: Your direct maternal deep ancestry and which haplogroup you belong to.
- How Far Back Are Results: All humans descended from Mitochondrial Eve, who lived an estimated 200,000 years ago in Africa. Her descendants are organized into different branches called haplogroups. mtDNA test results predict your mtDNA haplogroup.
Y Chromosome DNA Testing (Y-DNA) Y111
Only males carry the Y-chromosome, so women won’t benefit from taking this test. A Y-DNA test traces direct male-line ancestry — son to father to grandfather and so on.
Women can learn something from this test by having a brother, father, paternal grandfather, paternal uncle or a male cousin (your father’s brother’s son) take a test for you.
This test can tell you which Y-haplogroup you belong to if you’re male. Your Y-DNA haplogroup reflects the ancient ancestry of your paternal line.
Some haplogroups indicate clear ethnic groups. For example, the Y-haplogroup E3a is the most common among African Americans, and Y-haplogroup Q3 solely includes Native American populations.
- Who Can Take The Test: Males only (because women don’t have a Y-chromosome). While females can’t be Y-DNA tested, they can have a brother, father, paternal grandfather, paternal uncle or paternal uncle’s son (their cousin) take a test for them.
- What it Tests For: The Y-DNA test traces direct male-line ancestry — the majority of the Y-chromosome is transmitted from father to son with very little change. Each male’s Y-DNA test results are compared to other males’ results to find out their most recent common ancestor (MRCA) in their direct patrilineal lines.
- What it Can Reveal: This test can tell you which Y-haplogroup you belong to if you’re male. Your Y-DNA haplogroup reflects the ancient ancestry of your paternal line. Some haplogroups indicate clear ethnic groups. For example, the Y-haplogroup E3a is the most common among African Americans, and Y-haplogroup Q3 solely includes Native American populations.
- How Far Back Are Results: Like mtDNA tests, Y-DNA tests can go back hundreds of thousands of years.
Video: Types of DNA Tests
Still a bit confused? This short video breaks down the types of DNA tests in a nutshell for you.
Don’t Miss GEDmatch on Your DNA Quest
GEDmatch.com is a free website, where you can upload raw autosomal DNA results and your match lists from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, Family Tree DNA, and MyHeritage DNA. In GEDmatch you can compare your DNA results with the results of all other GEDmatch users who’ve made their results public, regardless of what company they used to obtain autosomal DNA results. GEDmatch can help you:
- Identify cousins and share research efforts for matching relatives.
- Identify what portions of your DNA came from each parent if you and one (or both) of your parents have their DNA tested.
- Potentially get more detailed ethnicity breakdowns. GEDmatch has six different options for displaying more detailed ethnicity, with many breakdowns under each option.
How Does GEDmatch Protect Your Privacy?
GEDmatch requires you to provide your email address and the exact name you used with your testing company, but you don’t have to make your name or any of your information public — but that limits much of what you can do with the website.
Infographic: DNA Tests
Here’s an infographic that summarizes DNA tests in a nutshell.
To share this DNA heritage test infographic on your site, simply copy and paste the code below:
DNA Test FAQ’s
Here are some additional questions we get asked regularly.
What About DNA Testing Privacy?
Are my DNA samples protected? We see this question often. What do companies do with your results and private information? The best testing sites don’t share your DNA results with insurance companies or other third parties. We recommend you read each company’s privacy policy before ordering a test if you’re concerned about your results ending up in the wrong hands.
In 2008, the U.S. passed the Genetic Information and Non-Discrimination Act to protect citizens from having their genetic information used against them for health insurance or employment purposes.
Do My Parents Need To Take a DNA Test For My Results To Be Accurate?
It depends on what type of information you’re looking for. It’s not necessary if you just want general ethnicity results. An autosomal DNA test will tell you what’s been passed down through your mother and/or father’s blood line, so save yourself the money!
But keep in mind, each person inherits different percentages of each parent’s DNA, and every person is different. So if you want the most complete results, everyone in the family should test.
Can DNA Tests Tell Me What Countries my Ancestors Lived in?
In most cases no. Most ethnicity breakdowns involve broader regions, rather than specific countries.
Which DNA Test Offers The Best Bang For The Buck?
Family Tree DNA has the lowest autosomal test price tag.
Can I Transfer DNA Test Results From One Company to Another?
You can’t upload other companies’ DNA test results to either Ancestry.com or 23andMe; however Family Tree DNA does allow you to upload results from AncestryDNA, 23andMe and Geno 2.0 to match your results to their DNA database.
My Heritage also accepts other results, but their database isn’t as sophisticated or comprehensive. There are also a few free sites where you can upload your raw data results to help you match your DNA to others. The most popular is GEDmatch.com.
Do DNA Test Companies Share my Results With Researchers or Third Parties?
The best testing sites don’t share your DNA results with third parties. But as with most things in life, we urge you to read their policies carefully before proceeding.
How Accurate Is an Ancestry DNA Test?
DNA testing for forensic purposes, paternity and ancestry are 99.9% accurate. The lines are a bit more blurry when it comes to DNA testing for disease risk (ie. health).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal organizations want the public to be aware that many companies are prematurely marketing genetic tests for disease risk with limited scientific backing. Many of these tests may not provide valid or useful results. Why? Researchers have yet to identify a large part of the genetic makeup with most diseases.
23andMe, however, is one company that has received FDA approval for a few of its health-related DNA tests. You can discover your genetic disease risk for Parkinson’s Disease, Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Celiac Disease and three other hereditary conditions. Learn more in our article about 23andMe and other DNA testing for health reasons.
Learn More About Our Human History and How You Fit In!
Whether you’re searching for living relatives or want to know where your ancestors originated from, a DNA ancestry test is a fun way to find out more about what made you who you are.
If you’re not already researching genealogy online, you may want to check out our Best Online Genealogy Software comparison article for our recommendations.
Check out our At Home Paternity Test Review to learn more about legal paternity tests, prenatal paternity tests, a host of relationship tests (sibling, grandparent, maternity, etc.), and more. You’ll find features, pricing, and pros and cons.
We tried to answer all your questions but if there’s something we neglected to cover, feel free to ask us below in the comments or in our Reader Questions.
What do you hope to discover via DNA testing?
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470 Comments on "Best DNA Test 2018: Family Tree DNA vs 23andMe vs AncestryDNA vs MyHeritage DNA & More!"
I have been raising my grand daughter basically her entire life. She will be 18 this year. Her mother has left her with me. I told her she loves you so much she knew you would be safer with me.
Her mother will not give us any information about her father or does not know. Her mom has married twice, divorced twice, has a 1/2 brother, and now has taken off again to another state to live with another man.
Which of the services would be the best one to use? Considering, we not only want her heritage and medical information, we also hopefully someday will meet the rest of her family.
This will be my birthday gift to her this year. I can’t imagine any better gift this kid deserves. No one should feel unwanted.
Thanks,
Cathy Grigsby
Grandma
Thanks,
Tammy
We are adding several new DNA testing companies to our reviews, including Africanancestry.com. Stay tuned!
You are correct! Scientists have made a lot of progress in sequencing the human genome through the Human Genome Project and other research over the last decade. What they’ve discovered makes DNA testing more accurate than ever before — and more discoveries are made every day!
In the future I want to test myself and my husband. Should we plan to test the same way? FTDNA Y-DNA and MT-DNA for my husband and just MT-DNA for me?
I would like to feel confident before ordering all these very expensive tests.
Thank you, Monica
Whether you decide on the Y-DNA and Mt-DNA tests really depends on how in-depth you want your research. These tests can help you locate potential sub-groups of relatives and ancestors. If you just want more general heritage information, then you only need to do the Autosomal test for each person. In either case, you definitely want to do the Autosomal (Family Finder) test for each person you mention. Good luck!
I’d recommend AncestryDNA because they have the largest DNA database so you’re more likely to find living relatives and potential family trees that can help you trace their heritage. Good luck!
I have hit two brick walls in my family research. My paternal wall stops at the second generation. My maternal wall stops at the third generation. What DNA test do you believe might be beneficial to my efforts?
Thank you for your time.
Hi Margaret,
Can you tell me more about what you mean by hitting a brick wall? Do you mean in terms of genealogical research into your family? Can you give me more information about what you know in terms of ethnicity in your family?
I have traced my maternal side of “the tree” over 30 generations. However, I am stuck at three generations of my paternal “Jones” side of the tree. Might you offer your opinion as to the best DNA program to follow?
Respectfully yours.
Hi George, I’d recommend Family Tree DNA or Ancestry for your “Jones” side of the family. This surname is largely found in the British Isles, and these two companies can help give you some genetic matches on that side of your family.
With all that possible mixture, what would be the best testing company? And would having my son also tested be helpful?
I’d suggest you and your son both test with either Family Tree DNA‘s Family Finder Test or AncestryDNA. Either will help you get some answers that you’re looking for. Good luck!
I did the Ancestry dna test and was highly disappointed and frustrated. My paternal grandfather was 100% Cherokee and not a single drop of Indian showed up in my test. I contacted Ancestry about it and they said that even though I have it in me, it doesn’t always show up on the test. They tried explaining it to me in a way of if your dad has green eyes that doesn’t mean your eyes will be green. Which doesn’t really make sense to me. DNA is DNA, so I don’t get why it doesn’t show up. I kind of said to my mom in a half joking way that if she had an “affair with the milkman”, now would be the time to tell me. Of course nothing like that is really true, but it makes me wonder…..I have also been in contact with a cousin on my dad’s said, and she said her daughter took the same test and got the same results I did. My grandfather is listed on the Dawes rolls also. I don’t know if you have an explanation for me. I feel like I was conned out of money for a test that obviously not 100% accurate. But I was wondering if I did another company’s test, would I get the same results? I wanted to try the 23andme for the health aspect of it too. Any advice?
thank-you for all of the information. there is a lot to choose from. From what I know I have both English/Scottish and Eastern European/Ukrainian in me. My husband swears he is of Viking Blood and has English/Scottish in him. Any thoughts on what would be the best tests? Thank-you.
A DNA test could confirm your research and also shed light on any other ethnicities you may not be aware of. I’d suggest FamilyTreeDNA‘s Family Finder test if you think it’s worth it. Thanks for your questions!
I am interested in doing a DNA test on my family and am open to doing two separate ones. One on my mother, and one on my father. Both of my parents are African American. I have tried to trace where I come from beyond America and always find myself reaching a dead end. I am thinking I should do an ancestry dna testing and then a 23andMe. However, one worry of mine is that I might run into either one not being specific enough. What do you suggest? Thanks for your time!
Best,
Candice
My ancestors moved from Central Asia to Anatolia hundred of years ago.
I am an Uyghur but i don’t know wich test i should take.
What do you suggest?
Which company would you recommend for him and for me (maybe two different ones?) to find out more of our origins, especially his? I would like to get the most details as possible. Thank you!
The only DNA testing service that offers health screenings is 23andMe, so that’s the company I’d recommend. But they don’t have a screening for Autism.
congrats on the excellent work putting all this information in a more compact way. It’s still a lot to figure out, but it’s good.
As far as I can tell, all my ancestors are born and bred in the North of Portugal.
Would you have any suggestion on a suitable test/company?
Do all of these companies tell you: from your mother’s side, the results are X; from your father’s side, the results are Y, etc.?
Thanks and Regards
Filipe
Can you suggest which company and test can give the best data focused and concentrating on Northen Italy and southern France when I know my ancestry Going back 3 generations and are all from the same region?
I’d like information where my early ancestors came from prior to explain physical characteristics. I considered ancestry but they group Greek and Italian together. which does not bode well from those in northern Italy the alpine region bordering France, Austria and Switzerland. BTW I live in Australia.
Thanks
23andMe: these are separate regions: French & German; Italian; Broadly Southeastern European; and Broadly Northwestern European.
Family Tree DNA: again, separate regions: West & Central Europe (includes present day France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany); and Southeast Europe (present day Italy, Greece, and the western Balkan states from Bulgaria to Croatia).
Hope this helps!
I know I have a lot of Slavic (and probably even some central Asian and Caucasus) roots, which DNA Test would be the best for me to break it more down?
Thanks
Thank you!
I have Germanic (northern European) roots on my father’s side but on my mother’s side Southern European and probably even Sephardic roots. Neanderthal on both sides too. What website/kit should I opt for?
Thanks,
Jimmy
Family Tree DNA’s Family Finder test will tell you if you have Sephardic roots, as well as other European areas. 23andMe and doesn’t test for Sephardic roots.
What website/kit offers most detailed information in one test? Presence of Neanderthal DNA should be included too
Thanks,
Jimmy
Thanks for your question. 23andMe is your best bet to find out if you have Neanderthal DNA and detailed info about your ethnicity, as well as health conditions.
An autosomal DNA test can help you find matches that share some of your DNA. Out of the companies we review, the largest DNA database is Ancestry. I’d go with them. Good luck!
As soon as his results came in a FIRST COUSIN ON HIS PATERNAL SIDE contacted me and sent some great pics and told me my husband has had a 1st cousin (one of her brothers) living about 60 miles south of us for years! IMO, unless you came from parents who had a very small extended family, you are likely to find a few close matches. Another thing is that families don’t know exactly who they are genetically. My husband thought he was 100% German because that’s where both sides of his family know they came from…but his and his mother’s largest ethnicity is Norwegian! We do know her family came from North East Germany, and the town her family was from is now in Poland! There second most abundant ethnicity is EAST and not West European…Germany is considered WEST European. Through deduction of my husband’s DNA compared to his moms, and that surname being decidedly “German,” his father probably was 25-50% German descent.
Finally, as a fellow adopted child, make sure you are ready for really bad as well as amazingly good news. My brother and sister, are also adopted though different blood. I found my sister’s blood family immediately, the information operator gave me the phone number of her 95 yr-old maternal grandmother who answered the phone! Sadly my sister’s birth mother had died suddenly, of a brain aneurysm while talking to one of her daughter’s (my sister’s half sister) in the kitchen. Literally dropped dead mid-sentence…It was difficult to break this news to my little sister (she had just turned 31 when I found this info).
I wish you the best!
Debi
I have purchased kits for 23andme ancestryDNA, but as I read through your article and comments, I started doubting whether I should have tried other routes–like My Family Tree. Which test is best for determining backgrounds for South American natives and Sephardic Jews?
Also, I know as far as a family tree database, My Heritage DNA tends to have more information on surnames in my line (seems to be more popular in Brazil). Would you say that test is worth doing or should I just access their database based on the information I gather from my tests?
And to be clear, my focus is to get as narrow of a region/ethnicity result as possible and to connect with possible relatives.
Thanks!
My father and I both recently took FTDNA’s family finder and it said he was 85 percent European ( 35% West European and 50% South EasternEuropean ) which was not a surprise. What was a surprise was he came back 15% Sephardic Jewish.
Oddly – my results came back vastly different which is somewhat of a concern to me. I came back 32% European ( 23% South East Europe, 3% West European and 6% East European) What is really strange is I came back 52% Ashkenazi Jewish ( a complete surprise to me) with no traces at all of the Sephardic that my fathers results showed. I also came back 12% Middle Eastern ( 7% Asia Minor and 5% Western Middle East) another surprise. My mother believes she’s half Italian and half Polish – results still pending ( but has no idea about any Middle Eastern or Jewish roots)
Additionally – he nor any of my known family members are showing up as matches in the family finder tool- which obviously is a cause for concern to me. If you look at photos, I look just like my father and other relatives as well.
Assuming I inherited DNA from both parents – and without jumping to the worst of conclusions ( you can imagine what’s going through my head now) – shouldn’t I be at least half of everything he’s showing ? Why would there be no Sephardic showing up and shouldn’t my European percentage be much higher given his results?
What are the chances they mixed up my results with someone else’s at FTDNA? Trying to understand the possibilities here…
My reasons for doing the DNA tests are not for heritage but rather to look for genetic mutations which blood DNA already revealed. This is why my doctor told me to use 23andMe. Can you recommend a lab that will do a swab test that will also be more health-related if 23andMe fails again?
Thank you for your help in this matter it is greatly appreciated.
Do any of the tests distinguish Sami ancestry from other Scandinavian ancestry?
I just got my Autosomal results back from Family Tree DNA and I got 85% British Isles. I’m still awaiting my mtDNA, but I was wondering which service (if any) you could recommend to break down the British Isles result? Is there a way to find out how much is British, Scottish, and Irish? Or is British Isles about as narrowed down as you can get?
Also, my last name is Dutch, but I didn’t see much show up in The Netherlands area on my Ethnicity Map. As far as historical borders, what region would normally determine Dutch ancestry?
Thanks so much,
Sara Van Wey
For someone looking to research their European ancestry, which is the best test? I was considering 23andMe and the FTDNA full bells and whistles (since I am male), to get the best combined results – would this be reasonable? How thorough a breakdown of European ancestries do these companies give? The appeal of their combination is that it will also provide health screening.
My maternal aunt is the family historian, but since she’s been ill (dementia), all of the research has stopped. Plus, her work has vanished from 2 moves, so all the work must be started again. Do I need find names to enter into a database? Is my DNA enough? Also, as the descendant of African slaves/Indigenous peoples/slave masters, I’m curious as to my specific ethnic makeup. Which DNA testing service provides the most detailed breakdown? Any help in both matters would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
23andMe: Japanese, Korean, Yakut, Mongolian, Chinese, Broadly East Asian
FTDNA: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia
AncestryDNA: Asia East
For situations like ours, is there a defined process, maybe a formula of sorts, to “solve for X?” Using DNA, genealogical and historic resource data, has anyone developed a process, checklist or a dichotomous key of sorts that one can follow to make a best guess(es) estimate of who the “X” or “?” might be? Perhaps a way to use DNA matches that do not fit with any other known paternal lines to narrow the list of suspects or point toward a particular surname?
Also, I wonder if you might add some info about the security of genetic info. Some rewrites of Trumpcare will penalize people with genetic issues. The 2008 act doesn’t seem to be able to protect against this. I’m hesitant to link up DNA with my real name and tree while this is all so fuzzy, legally.
FTDNA and 23andMe won’t give you any more specific results that you got with AncestryDNA’s test. There’s a newer company, called Living DNA, that could possibly help narrow it down, but it’s still very unclear which regions they test for (although they claim to have more, they don’t list them on their website). I’d recommend contacting the company before buying the test. Thanks for your question.
MDLP Project
Eurogenes Project
Dodecad
Harrapaworld
EthioHelix
puntDNAL
GedrosiaDNA
How do you know which Project to choose?
I would like to find information about my fathers side of my family and also possibly find any living relatives. My father, who is deceased, was adopted by his step father and knew nothing about his biological father. If my half brother (we have the same father) does the Y-DNA test, how accurate would his paternal results be for me? And is this the best test to consider? Will I get any paternal information from the Autosomal or mtDNA tests that I can take? From reading your article and all the comments , it’s my understanding that FTDNA and the Ancestry DNA will give basically the same results, is this correct? Thanks for your help with this and your great article!
I’d suggest starting out with AncestryDNA or FTDNA’s autosomal test. You are correct that the results will basically give you the same results. The choice between the two depends on the database. Ancestry’s is much larger than FTDNA, so you’re more likely to find living relatives. Hope this helps!
My great grandmother’s father on my father’s side is unknown but I do know she was from Wales as she came here in 1895.
My father is still alive and I had him do ancestry’s DNA test already.
What other service and /or test can you recommend to help me use genealogy DNA testing to find out more as to who my great grandmother’s father was? I would get my dad to take the test to help close the generation gap. I’d like to get the test right due to my dad’s age plus there are so many levels of testing. Please help.
James
My wife and mother don’t know who their father is and I wanted to get them a birthday gift and get them the best dna test to find their father? Which test would be best for them to find their father if they only know who their mother is?
Also, I’m wondering if I ordered the correct test? I have an Ancestry membership(family tree) account. Can I link/uploade my 23andMe results to find living relatives in Ancestry.com?
Thanks in advance.
I am interested in a test that gives me the most complete view of my geographical origins as far back as possible, including possble Neanderthal. I am female, does this give me a disadvantage?
Although I’ve been researching my family history for approximately 20 years, I’ve only just ordered my first DNA test. I decided to go with Living DNA and was surprised to see that you called their test expensive – while US$159 might be costly for autosomal DNA testing, the fact that they include mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA tests in the same package makes it something of a bargain, in my opinion. Were you just referring to the fact that the initial cost is higher than their competitors, or do you think that the additional tests aren’t quite the deal they appear to be?
The other main attraction for me was the more detailed geographic breakdown, expecially for UK ancestors – my paternal ancestry is 100% English (at least for the past 5 to 8 generations), while my maternal ancestry is 100% Irish (last 3 to 5 generations). One thing that I haven’t bee able to figure out is how Living DNA’s Y-chromosome test compares with those offered by FTDNA. The latter advertises Y-tests covering 37, 67 and 111 markers, while Living DNA’s chip tests over 22,000 Y-markers – I’m pretty sure that they’re talking about 2 different things, and that Living DNA’s test isn’t actually that much more detailed. Do you have any idea how they might actually compare or can you suggest anywhere that I might find that information?
In any event, I enjoyed your article and will be interested in seeing if Living DNA makes its way into the top 3 for 2018. Best regards!
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please add ‘gene by gene’ to an updated comparison, they are $79. presales support at familytree and gene by gene are very responsive which i can’t say for 23andme which is extremely poor.