The Battle of the DNA Test Kits

Spoilt for choice? Unsure which DNA test kit is the best choice for you? Fret not! Here is a special selection of our recommended options for you.

Finding out which DNA test kit is best for you is often difficult when you are not equipped with the right information to aid you in making the best choices. Before deciding on what DNA test kit is suitable for you, it would be ideal to:

1) identify the type of DNA test that will best represent what you are looking for, and

2) be familiar with the basic steps of taking a DNA test.

With DNA testing entering the mainstream market in the last few decades, taking a test can jumpstart your knowledge of your family background and ancestry and even your ethnicity. 

With so many different DNA tests available in the market today, we have put together an in-depth breakdown of different DNA tests offered by 5 different DNA companies! 

1. AncestryDNA

Ancestry DNA

Price: USD $99

Source: AncestryDNA

This test kit covers your origins and ethnicity, as well as your DNA matches. The ethnicity estimates provided here were calculated with the help of an updated technology that comprises a wider range of regions globally with greater accuracy. Larger regions such as England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, China, Japan and more are now broken into smaller regions, allowing more accurate results. 

This test kit will be able to pinpoint the specific regions that you come from. So you might know that you’re German, but with the Ancestry DNA kit you might find out specifically that you have ancestors from the small region of "Vordereifel" in Germany. How interesting! 

Ethnicity Estimate from Andreas West (permission to publish given)

who couldn't find any English ancestors so far

Zoom into Northeast Italy, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina and we can see how it's connected for people in his family tree from the region

2. 23andMe

Ancestry + Traits Service

Price: USD $99

Source: 23andme

With over 80 personalised reports, the Ancestry + Traits Service DNA kit provides you the most detailed breakdown across 2000+ regions. You will be presented with your

1) Ancestry Composition and

2) Ancestry Detail Report, which includes a uniquely curated content connecting you to your ancestry. 

The Ancestry Composition is also known as a “living analysis of your DNA”. 23andme is the only company that provides genomic coordinates that highlights specifically which chromosome and position that a certain ethnicity of your DNA is predicted.

Example of the Ancestry Composition Chromosome Painting:

There are two key steps that will be taken:

1. Assigning

What happens here is that your genome information will be divided into smaller sections, which will be used as comparison to other references in their database. This will help you find the best reference match for your DNA. 

2. Smoothing

This next step will further refine the information gathered in the first step. The algorithm uses neighbouring DNA data to dive deeper into your DNA information, making a more accurate prediction for you. 

Besides the Ancestry Composition Chromosome Painting, 23andme also provides an Ancestry Timeline.

The timeline illustrates the ethnic ancestry picked out from the DNA sample that you provided, and shows you generations of family information:

3. MyHeritage

My Heritage DNA

Price: USD $79

Source: MyHeritage

Using the highest technological testing standards, MyHeritage DNA test kit offers an ethnicity estimate, covering over 2100 regions worldwide. Included in your DNA test results, you will receive a breakdown of your ancestral background among the 42 ethnicities in the database. 

Covering even the most diverse of ethnicities, if you’re East European, North and West European, Balkan, Iberian, Baltic, Italian, Mesoamerican and Andean, fret not! My Heritage has got you covered!

MyHeritage correctly picks up the ancestry from the Vicenza province in Italy by looking at the family tree information as well, ignore the 1% Middle Eastern:

4. FamilyTreeDNA

Family Ancestry

Price: USD $79

Source: FamilyTreeDna

Through the Family Ancestry Test Kit, you will be able to discover your ethnic percentages using myOrigins, their visual mapping tool that shows a comprehensive breakdown of your ancestors’ and your ethnic and geographic background. Interested in exploring your Deep Ancestry?

With their latest addition, you’ll be able to find out the percentage of ancient European groups that your autosomal DNA holds, establishing the migration routes of your ancestors.

FTDNA picks up the Italian correctly but again no evidence of British ancestry, let alone 33%:

5. LivingDNA

Your DNA Ancestry Kit

Price: USD $99 + Shipping

Source: LivingDNA 

From 80,000 years ago till today, Living DNA offers a detailed analysis of your ancestry. They have a range of different advanced ancestry DNA test kits, such as: Recent Ancestry, Sub-regional Ancestry, Your DNA today, Extended Ancestry, DNA Matching and Free Ancestry Updates. 

What will be included in the basic Ancestry DNA test kit:

While Living DNA provides ancestry results that spans over 150 regions globally, if you are of African ancestry, British ancestry or European ancestry, you can dive even deeper into your ancestry with their specialised ancestry DNA test. 

We truly hope that this guide has provided you a comprehensive explanation and illustrated all you need to know about the available DNA test kits in the market.

You might want to continue read the following articles:

How To Know Which DNA Test is Most Suitable For You

The How To’s of DNA Testing for Ethnicity

If you’re interested to find out more, Your DNA Family is with you on your DNA journey, do check us out! 

Try our app for free