1. Family Tree DNA - Good choice for beginners and people who do genealogical research online
Over 2 million people all over the world have tested their DNA ancestry with FamilyTreeDNA. This makes the company one of the most comprehensive DNA matching databases in the industry.
Offers | - The Company was founded in 2000.
- Get a percentage breakdown of your origins.
- Connect with your autosomal DNA relatives within the last 5 generations.
- Explore your heritage on your paternal line.
- Trace your surname to its roots and build your family tree.
- Compare matching segments of DNA (blocks) with your genetic matches.
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Price | Prices start at $79 |
Comments | FamilyTree DNA is a company that does in-depth research on family and parental ancestry. You will receive information on relatives and family members all over the world. |
Editor's Note: This is a great choice for African DNA tests as they will give you so much information on your family and paternal history.
Bottom Line: If you are looking for information on your paternal history such as your father’s line, you can receive information about your father’s bloodline up to 5 generations back and connect with family members. If you do not know your father or who he is, this can be a great option for you.
Read Family Tree DNA Full Review
2. Living DNA - Great for those who want a DNA test that focuses on the U.K.
Living DNA offers the world’s most advanced African ancestry DNA Test to discover your roots. You can go so far as to discover your extended family through their DNA matching tool with genetic matches all over the world.
Offers | - The Company was founded in 2004.
- Get a sub-regional African breakdown to 72 African sub-region.
- You get the chance to compare your own results.
- See your extended ancestry reports on your maternal and, if male, paternal side.
- Discover your extended family through their DNA matching tool.
- Reports on 21 locales just within England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
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Price | DNA testing kit starts at $99 |
Comments | Living DNA is focused on providing people with the best possible information about their family, history, and regions they come from. |
Editor's Note: The Living DNA reviews and information online seems pretty positive. This can definitely be a good choice for African American DNA Tests.
Bottom Line:
Imagine the possibility of finding out which region in African your ancestors are from. With Living DNA, you can even find out from which sub-region you are from!
Read Living DNA Full Review
3. MyHeritage DNA- Best For People Who Do Not Know Anything About Their Family Tree. You Can Build Yours On Their Website.
MyHeritage is a genetic testing company that focuses on family history and relative matching. They are located in Isreal and focuses mostly on European countries.
Offers | - 42 different ethnicity profiles make the results of this African DNA test both accurate and insightful.
- 5.1 Billion Historical DNA Records.
- 93 Million users World-Wide.
- Get Your Results Online Within 4 Weeks.
- HG is in Yehuda, Israel.
- Choose From Over 72 Languages.
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Price | DNA Test Kit For Only $59 |
Comments | MyHeritage DNA will also give access to a list of common ancestral surnames to track last name origins. |
Editor's Note: MyHeritage DNA seems like a good choice when you want to track family members and surname origins.
Bottom Line: In addition to ancestry, MyHeritage matches users that share genetic sequences. Users can also upload their raw DNA data from other DNA testing companies to match with relatives.
Read MyHeritageDNA Full Review
4. Vitagene - Best For People Looking For Personalized Health And Wellness Plans.
Vitagene is an autosomal DNA testing company that uses your DNA test results to produce personalized health and wellness plans.
Offers | - The San Francisco company was founded in 2014 by a neurosurgeon and a businessman.
- Offers a Vitagene Diet Report, Supplement Report, Exercise Report, Skin Report, and Ancestry Report.
- Gives Access to an online coach.
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Price | Starts at $99 |
Comments | Vitagene’s diet and fitness recommendations are based on genetic sequencing although some customers found the recommendation vague and the data upload option is not free. |
Editor's Note: The recommendations given by Vitagene are based on the likelihood that someone with that DNA will have certain traits. It isn’t a guarantee, so, take their results with a grain of salt.
Bottom Line: When using other company’s DNA testing kits, your DNA results are compared to the results in the database so the results are more accurate.
Read Vitagene Full Review - the review ends with a link to a dedicated brand review page on our site.
5. Sequencing.com - Best for people interested in taking a deep dive into their genome.
Sequencing.com is a DNA testing company and platform for DNA-related apps. Their DNA app marketplace has both paid and free apps, providing services ranging from ancestry analyses to health reports and nutrition recommendations.
Offers | - Sequencing.com offers whole-genome sequencing, unlike many competitors.
- Data security is important to the company.
- You retain the rights to your data.
- Over 100 analysis apps and reports.
- Access to ongoing insights, rather than one-time reporting.
- Their HQ is in Los Angeles, USA.
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Price | $69 - $399 |
Comments | Sequencing.com can take you beyond what traditional DNA test results can tell you. |
Editor's Note: Sequencing.com’s price and services may be overwhelming and not ideal for people who are totally new to DNA testing or analysis.
Bottom Line: The DNA tests work in a similar fashion to other companies that sell DNA tests. Once the kit is bought, you provide a DNA sample (swab your cheek) and ship it back to Sequencing.com. If you already took a DNA test elsewhere, you can also upload that data to Sequencing.com.
Read Sequencing.com Full Review
6. Genopalate - Best For People Looking To Improve Their Daily Nutritional Lifestyle
GenoPalate is a nutritional genomics company that offers you diet recommendations based on your DNA test results.
Offers | - Their HG is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Offers diet recommendations based on DNA data analysis.
- The company was founded in 2016.
- Results using existing data will be ready in 1-3 weeks.
- Analyzes DNA at a third-party lab and results from these DNA tests will be ready in 4-6 weeks.
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Price | $40 for data upload; $150 for DNA kit |
Comments | The company promises to help you optimize your nutrition and identify food intolerances based on genetic testing results. |
Editor's Note: When you want to live a healthy life, eating the right food according to your ancestry DNA results, Genopalate is a great test.
Bottom Line: Genopalate’s reports analyze the parts of your genes that are linked to nutrition. It then makes science-based recommendations for you to live a positive and healthy lifestyle.
Read Genopalate Full Review
7, Dynamic DNA Labs - Best For People Who Wants To Prove Paternity or Kinship
Dynamic DNA Labs offers customers several different types of DNA tests. Besides its general ancestry DNA test, Dynamic DNA Labs also offers two tests that tell you specifically if you are biologically related to your father, brother, or siblings.
Offers | - HQ is in Springfield, MO.
- Get results in 2 - 3 weeks.
- Offers three types of family and ancestry tests: two that prove paternity or kinship and one ancestry test.
- Offers Quick Support Response by Email.
- The company was founded in 2018.
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Price | Prices start at $99 |
Comments | According to online reviews, some people have been saying that the results are a bit too vague. |
Editor's Note: When looking at what the company does, I think it can be a great way to find out certain parts of yourself, but there are other options that will give you better insight into these things.
Bottom Line: According to reviews, purchasing the kit is easy, but results are minimalistic and they are lacking customer support.
Read Dynamic DNA Labs Full Review
8. Ancestry DNA - Best For Tracing Your Roots As A Beginner And Easy-To-Understand Report
AncestryDNA makes it easy to explore your ethnic origins and offers the largest family-matching database.
Offers | - The Company was founded in 2013.
- Their HQ is in Provo, Utah.
- Was recently purchased by the Blackstone Group which paid nearly $5 billion for the Ancestry DNA testing service.
- 18+ million users DNA in their database.
- Offers two basic DNA testing kits - the standard AncestryDNA package and the more expensive AncestryHealth kit.
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Price | $99 - $179 |
Comments | Ancestry DNA can’t differentiate between maternal and paternal lineages, and the company may monetize your DNA data if you opt into its research program. |
Editor's Note: While the basic test will get you information on your ancestors, be prepared to pay much more than the sticker price of the test to get your full range of results and access to the powerful historical records database.
Bottom Line: AncestryDNA is an easy-to-use tool for exploring your background. Their big database of profiles makes it easy for you to create an Ancestry family tree.
Read Ancestry DNA Full Review
9. EasyDNA - Best For Customer Service And User Experience
EasyDNA is a genetic and DNA testing company with offices all over the world. The company has been around for over a decade and has won rewards for its work.
Offers | - The company was founded in 2006 and operates on an international scale.
- Over 25 offices around the world, from the USA and China to Angola and Zimbabwe.
- Executed over 300.000 various DNA tests in its lifespan.
- Awarded the WhatClinic’s Customer Service Award two years in a row.
- Offers a wide range of Ancestry, Health and Wellness, and Diet and Fitness at-home DNA tests.
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Price | $119.00 |
Comments | Despite being a less well-known DNA testing company, EasyDNA has been in business for more than ten years and has offices around the world. |
Editor's Note: EasyDNA covers every possible DNA inquiry and does everything to make sure their customer service stands out. The only downfall I would say is the fact that you have to pay extra to open the report once it arrives.
Bottom Line: EasyDNA is a professional and well-rounded company, with offices in every corner of the world. It also has country-specific websites, where you can get proper information tailored for your region.
Read Easy DNA Full Review
10. iGenea- Best For Connecting Historical And Genetic Research
iGENEA collaborates with Family Tree DNA and performs analyses through its laboratory and database. This way you know that the possibility of accurate results is big.
Offers | - Analysis by expert Swiss genealogists.
- Analyze your origins over 100,000 years ago.
- Can take up to 7 weeks to receive your results.
- Includes A Free Consultation with an Expert.
- Offers 3 types of DNA tests - Basic, Premium, and Expert.
- Founded in 2006 and is Swiss-based.
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Price | From 179 EUR to 1299 EUR |
Comments | Their services are quite expensive. |
Editor's Note: The iGENEA Basic test is really expensive considering you have to choose a maternal or paternal analysis, instead of receiving both for one price.
Bottom Line: IGenea is known for its expert knowledge and results. The only downfall is the expensive prices and that you should wait for up to 7 weeks to receive your results.
Read iGenea Full Review
Why Take a DNA Test For African American Ancestry?
During slavery, black families were constantly being separated, with many enslaved children raised away from their biological parents. Informal adoptions during and after slavery were common among African Americans.
The sad thing is that the U.S. census did not record all African Americans by name until 1870. For this reason, it can be useful to a lot of African Americans to take a DNA test for African American Ancestry.
Your life as an African American could change in an instant. You will know more about your heritage, where you come from, and you may even meet other relatives!
How Autosomal DNA Testing Can Give You More Information
When you want to explore your family ancestry and regional origins, autosomal DNA tests (which look at your non-sex related chromosomes) can give you a great deal of information.
Autosomal tests can show you which specific regions your family and ancestors are from, whether it’s North Africa or the Sub-Saharan part of the continent.
Additionally, autosomal DNA testing can give you a better picture of your ethnic breakdown and even help you find long lost relatives and distant family members.
Go for DNA Testing Kits that Provide Ethnic or Racial Details
If you really want to dive into your family’s history, you’ll need a test that can give you in-depth information into your specific ethnic makeup and your ancestors’ potential location of origin.
While tests are unfortunately still somewhat behind in terms of determining exact ethnicities when it comes to African ancestry DNA tests, they can still give you a great starting point.
Additionally, you should look for companies that offer “family tree” options, which are opt-in and let you add your findings to the vast database of other customers.
While privacy concerns are understandable, it’s actually valuable to add yourself to the list, as it can help you connect with family you may not even know you had.
How Can Your Life Change When Doing A DNA Test For African American Ancestry?
Living as an African American has proved to be hard in a lot of cases and more and more people are trying to research where they are from or how they came to be in the USA. With at-home DNA test kits, this is possible and there are a lot of true, great stories in the world about how people found lost family members and found out who their biological parents are.
One story that stands out is the story about a person who grew up with a mom and white stepfather. They never knew anything about their real father or where they came from and wanted to find out more. So, they took a DNA test from MyHeritage DNA.
The results arrived by email and they clicked on the “ethnicity estimate” link, which offers an analysis of DNA by country. The test showed that their blackness comes from Nigeria; 43%. Then there’s 1% from Kenya, and the rest from Great Britain and Ireland (55%), as well as eastern Europe (1%).
After the test results, they began to explore the rest of the MyHeritage site and were amazed to find that they could contact a fourth cousin on their biological father’s side and that she lived in the same city.
The great news is that “There are now over 75,000 genetic tests — that comes to over 10 new tests that enter the market every day, which is both good news and bad news,” said Kathryn Phillips, professor of health economics and health services research at the University of California San Francisco and lead author of a study on the growth of genetic testing that was published in Health Affairs.
This gives a lot of people the opportunity to do a DNA test and find out information that is needed for their health.
How To Do A DNA Test For Black Ancestry With A DNA Test Kit
DNA testing works by taking a closer look at the chains of DNA that you have. The fact is, throughout generations, DNA chains will change and reshuffle, but there will always be segments that remain the same. People with the same DNA segments are related on some level. A DNA Testing kit, will take your DNA sample and compare it to the results in their database.
To Take A DNA Test Sample, Just Follow These Steps:
Step 1: Visit the clinic website of your choice, and answer a few questions about yourself.
Step 2: Now order the DNA Testing Kit.
Step 3: When the DNA kit arrives, you can collect your DNA sample.
Step 4: After you collected your sample, register it on the website.
Step 5: Now it is time to send your sample back, and wait for the results.
The History of African American Migration
It is believed that people began leaving Africa as slaves from the early 16th century. During the 17th century, Africans migrated to different parts of the continent. They moved away from the Western Coast and to the North and South.
Those who reached their destinations formed different cultural groups and new cultures were born this way. One reason for the migration patterns was slavery. Slave ships traveled down the coast from Europe and other areas and then forced men, women, and children to board the ships and then sold them to other nations as slaves.
Many African American people living in the United States today have roots in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean because their ancestors were slaves in those regions from Africa.
What You Can Expect To Learn In Your DNA Test Results
Now the question might be, what exactly will you learn when doing an at-home DNA test? Well, most of the kits warn that testing your DNA can lead to surprising or life-changing results. So it is important to prepare yourself mentally.
You may learn the following facts when doing a DNA test:
- Uncovering your genetic traits.
- Find new cousins and family members.
- Where your ancestors are from.
- Learn about genetic illnesses.
- Learn about your genetic makeup and what foods you should eat to be healthy.
Summary
DNA testing can offer you insight into your identity, family roots, and ancestral origins. These tests can make you feel more secure and confident about yourself when you know where you actually come from. So, whether you want to create the family reunion of a lifetime, or if you’re interested in understanding where you came from, a DNA testing kit might just be the perfect choice for you. Why wait? Use the convenience of a DNA testing kit to discover the unknown truths about yourself, your family, and your history.
