Table of Contents

    A Look Back into your roots: in search of the Best Ancestry DNA Test.

    Written by Juan Rivas Santisteban
    Updated: 08/03/2021

    Best Ancestry DNA Test

    Thanks to scientific advances, today we know many ways to interpret the genetic information that makes us up. These instructions common to all living beings are powerful, because beyond giving us essential functions for the development of our biology, DNA is a kind of book recording changes throughout the history of a species. That is why we need to find the best heritage DNA test to read the hidden information of our ancestors.

    Short on time? Here’s Our Top Ancestry DNA Test

    Family Tree DNA – a tool specialized in obtaining maternal, paternal and autosomal lineages; defining pretty well your ancestral haplotypes.

    How we evaluated the DNA test kits?

    Knowing the relationships that your DNA suffered in the past is quite possible using many of the tools offered in the market. However, if you are a neophyte, it can be difficult to discriminate between the benefits of these services. We have set three parameters that we consider the most important when choosing the best test:

    • Databases to which they have access to match sequences.
    • Techniques used for DNA handling, extraction and processing.
    • Amount of transcendent information to which the client has access. 

    Short on time? Here Are the Top 5 Ancestry DNA Test

     

    Pricing

    Results time

    Database size

    Star rating

    Special feature

    Test type

    Bottom line

    Family Tree DNA

    Full Review

     

    79 to 159$, up to 449$ in DNA-Y 700 STRs

    4 to 8 weeks

    2+ Mill. records

    4/5

    You can upload other company’s DNA records for free.

    saliva at home.

    Good, user-friendly interface to learn more about your ancestral haplotypes.

    Ancestry DNA

    Full Review

     

    99 to 119$

    6 to 8 weeks

    claim to have 20+ Mill. Records from clients.

    4/5

    Largest company focused on Ancestry DNA, with a very narrow and economic price range.

    saliva at home.

    A good choice if your budget is around $120, the data will be quite reliable due to the sample size.

    My Heritage

    Full Review

     

    79€, Summer Offer: 59€

    3 to 4 weeks

    5.1+ Mill. records

    4/5

    Local historical records from the 16th century.

    saliva at home.

    An inexpensive and very simple option to take this ancestry test.

    Living DNA

    Full Review

    79€ to 149€

    6 to 8 weeks

    unknown

    3/5

    Several Ancestry-focused Reports

    saliva at home.

    With updates to your genomic information, they are a solid enough company to offer good and varied results.

    Vitagene

    Full Review

     

    99 to 249$

     

    4 to 6 weeks

    claim to have the “largest nutrition genetics database available”

    3/5

    Ancestry is always involved in a combo (Ancestry+Health)

    saliva at home.

    A good option if you are more focused on improving sports performance or similar.

    The Best Ancestry Tests For 2021: A Full Analysis

    We have selected the 10 most interesting proposals for the average consumer, considering accessibility by country, ease of use and overall quality.

     1. Family Tree DNA – The Best User Experience

    family tree dna testing kits

     As one of the easiest ways to get a reliable result about your ancestry, it offers a wide range of packages at affordable prices, making it arguably the best ancestry kit of 2021.

    Offers

    - Maternal, Paternal and Autosomal lineages

    - Different amount of Markers

    - Upload Genetic Data from Different Companies

    Aveg. Price

    ~110$

    Comments

    The ability to cross-check data from other companies for free makes it stand out from its competitors.

     Editor's Note: It is a semi-professional kit that will be processed by professionals. Its price and versatility make it worthy of this position in the ranking.

     Bottom Line: The ability to graphically display the lineages of your ancestors is powerful in this tool. Undoubtedly one of the best offerings the market has to offer, if not the best DNA home test.

    Read Family Tree DNA Full Review

     2. Ancestry DNA – The Monster Database

    Ancestry DNA testing kits

    This veteran company, founded at the end of the last century, has built up its reputation through family registries and later by acquiring genetic databases of its clients.

    Offers

    - The Biggest Database

    - Premium “Traits” package

    Aveg. Price

    ~100$

    Comments

    The extremely useful and transparent FAQ will save you a lot of time

    Editor's Note: We see this as a potential first-place candidate, as its entire premise is based on ancestry analysis. Even so, we think it lacks some variety.

    Bottom Line: If you buy this product, you will have a good record of your ancestors' past. With a huge amount of data, the results will be much more reliable than those of its competitors, in principle. This is the most accurate ancestry test of 2021.

     

    Read Ancestry DNA Full Review

    3. My Heritage – Cheap and Good Results

    My Heritage is a large and honest company that has consolidated its status by offering quality services at a very competitive price. It is the cheapest alternative in the market.

    Offers

    - Family history records service, up to 14 million.

    - Genetic records up to 5 million, one of the best databases on the market.

    Up to 2114 geographical regions

    Aveg. Price

    ~70$

    Comments

    42 offered languages

    Editor's Note: Undoubtedly, the option that we recommend for the most meagre pockets, but no less curious about its price.

     Bottom Line: By sacrificing just a little variety in their offerings, these family registry specialists have managed to have the low-cost alternative to become the best ancestry test of the simple folk.

     Read My Heritage Full Review

     4. Living DNA – Trying to Understand the Ancient

    In the growing niche of DNA testing, clever competitors have emerged who try to scale with good service and varied offerings. This is the case of Living DNA.

    Offers

    - Free 7-Day mail Course “Discover the potential of DNA”

    - Ancestry + Wellbeing kit

    Aveg. Price

    ~110$

    Comments

    The final reports are aesthetically pleasing and easily understood

    Editor's Note: Perhaps a good alternative for those looking for eye-catching results to share on their social networks.

    Bottom Line: The well-kept interfaces and the entire website make a good impression, which is reinforced by the accuracy of their tests. A very good alternative.

    Read Living DNA Full Review

     5. Vitagene – The Roots of Health

    Vitagene is a company that has established its place in such a competitive niche. Noted for his reports on health and ancestors.

    Offers

    - “Feel better, look better, live better”

    is their motto

    Aveg. Price

    ~100$

    Comments

    They also do COVID tests, which gives us an idea that they have ended up expanding their market

    Editor's Note: It would be a good option for those athletes who are taking their training seriously, although there may be better options at the top.

     Bottom Line: The greatest characteristic of these tests is that they facilitate the interpretation of the information for certain fields. In this case, you will have reports on what to eat, when to sleep, how to exercise, etc. based entirely on your ancestral genes.

     Read Vitagene Full Review

    6. Nebula Genomics – Into the Deeps of DNA

    Focused more on the technological advances of DNA we have Nebula Genomics. This company is very clear that genomics can do much more, and it is easy to see words like FASTQ, BAM and VCF on their website, which will impress their potential customers.

    Offers

    - Deep Genetic Ancestry

    - Genomic Big Data Access

    Aveg. Price

    ~300$

    Comments

    It has offers from $ 99 to $ 999, depending on the depth of reading you want.

    Editor's Note: This kit is very interesting for those who know how to handle genetic code. If you are not a technician, biologist or geneticist, the most expensive offers would not make much sense to you.

     Bottom Line: This is, of course, a professional kit to learn more about your past. Highlights the access to your data in exportable files FASTQ format. A highly recommended option for very specific cases or even scientific research.

     Read Nebula Genomics Full Review

    7. iGenea – Not for all pockets

    This company claims to be a genomics laboratory, and its tests seem quite complete. Their prices, like those of Nebula Genomics but higher. Let's see what they offer.

    Offers

    - Ancestry test including location of migrations, origins of your lineage.

    Aveg. Price

    ~600$

    Comments

    The highest offer is about 1300$.

    Editor's Note: We consider this to be a good option if you are from a wealthy class and can afford it. Otherwise, we believe that there are more honest options with their price / quality ratio.

     Bottom Line: An option to take into account to contrast other tests or find the town of origin of your genetic lineage. You will be able to see percentages and migrations represented on a world map.

    Read iGenea Full Review

    8. Basepaws – A Way to Learn a Bit of Your Cat’s Ancestry

     To think outside the box, we find this friendly company that will reveal the most unsuspected ins and outs of your cat pet's DNA.

    Offers

    - History of Dental Health

    - Breed purity and other ancestry-related facts

    Aveg. Price

    ~120$

    Comments

    The full report is on sale and costs $ 499

    Editor's Note: It's a very smart and empathetic way of slowly introducing DNA testing into our everyday lives.

     Bottom Line: With more or less affordable prices, this interesting proposal makes its way that makes us want to know more about our mute pet. It works in the same way as human tests, but it must be borne in mind that its genome is less well known.

     Read Basepaws Full Review

     9. EasyDNA – Good Solutions for Recent Ancestry

    EasyDNA is a company focused on the recent history of your lineage, which includes everything from paternity tests to other types of kinship tests.

    Offers

    - prenatal parenthood

    - Siblings, grandparents, uncles tests ...

    Aveg. Price

    ~300$

    Comments

    They are very focused on the recent ancestry

    Editor's Note: This company should be in the top 10 simply because of the volume of demand that these types of tests have. On the contrary, we would not recommend it for a common ancestry test.

    Bottom Line: There is a wide variety of prices and offers on this page. You can test your horse for food intolerance, for example. It is not limited to human genetics and those are good signs of growth in this industry.

     Read EasyDNA Full Review

     10. Sequencing.com – Sequencing the Whole Thing

     Volume is the key to sequencing.com. They claim to be able to achieve 1000 times more depth in the reading of the genome than their competitors.

    Offers

    - Very extensive database for diseases

    - Greater number of apps analyzing your genome

    Aveg. Price

    ~190$

    Comments

    The effectiveness of the tests does not only have to do with the large numbers, as they claim. Although it is a principle of solidity.

    Editor's Note: It is a very good option that could be in the first positions of another ranking, but as this is the best ancestry DNA kit, we cannot put it in a better place than this one.

     Bottom Line: With multiple endorsements on the front page and such great headlines, saying this would be a bad option is not possible. However, to visualize the past of your lineage there are alternatives that perhaps complement this genetic data well.

     Read Sequencing.com Full Review

     Why Take a DNA Test to Trace Ancestry?

    All modern humans can be considered as members of a single race or breed. However, still today there are traits shared between different human populations, which have specific differences in the genetic code and are often inherited, leaving these divergences fixed at the population level for centuries or even millennia.

    We call these patterns of polymorphisms haplotypes, and these are of great biomedical importance, as we can find thousands of associations with diseases or treatments.

    Why Take a DNA Test to Trace Ancestry?

    All modern humans can be considered as members of a single race or breed. However, still today there are traits shared between different human populations, which have specific differences in the genetic code and are often inherited, leaving these divergences fixed at the population level for centuries or even millennia.

    We call these patterns of polymorphisms haplotypes, and these are of great biomedical importance, as we can find thousands of associations with diseases or treatments.

    What Are the Steps to Follow in DNA testing?

    Normally the procedure may vary depending on the type of test. Keep in mind that DNA is a universal code in terrestrial biology and is found literally everywhere, be it in the air, water, or soil. So, regardless of the method we use to sample our DNA, we must avoid contamination with other types of organisms that are out there, swarming.

    Another general recommendation is to load enough human material so that, if contaminations cannot be avoided, they are at least negligible.

    1.         The customer should purchase a home kit of the desired nature in his preferred brand.
    2.         Most commonly, the kit will come pre-packaged with a swab, a vial and a buffer. Cell samples should be obtained by scraping the inside of the cheek and avoid degradation by mixing the contents in the vial in an aseptic environment.
    3.         It should be preserved, packaged and shipped promptly to the company responsible for processing the sample.
    4.         Within an average of 8 weeks, all manufacturers should have the results to the customer. This interval may differ depending on the product selected.

     The History of Ancestry DNA testing evaluation

    This type of test has been performed for several decades. However, it should be noted that several professional testimonials state that the results of testing per se depend on the company. This makes sense because they have access to different databases and DNA processing technologies.

    To get a considerably good evaluation, companies try to classify your genome based on the different SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) along the sequence.

    SNPs can be understood as spontaneous mutations at specific sites in the genome that are preserved at the population level, constituting versions of known genes (and regulatory/intergenic regions) that are known to exist and may or may not be attributed to a geographic haplotype.

     What You Can Expect To Learn In Your DNA test Results

    Find relatives: Depending on the databases available to the company, this tool could be useful to see geographically shared haplotypes.

    Medical conditions: There are many congenital diseases associated with a haplotype or a combination of several SNPs. It is quite possible to predict future diseases with these facilities.

    • Autosomal DNA: This test is gender independent because it analyses non-sex chromosomes, giving a more complete picture of your ancestry.
    • DNA-Y: There are usually several techniques for looking at paternal lineage; that is, the history that your Y chromosome has undergone. They can look at SNPs, molecular markers suitable for ancient ancestry; while STRs (Short Tandem Repeats), another type of genetic element, can shed light on the closest ancestors.

    STRs (Short Tandem Repeats)

    DNA-mt: Mitochondrial DNA is very famous for being normally inherited maternally (although there are some rare exceptions) since the zygote that gave rise to us contained the egg’s mitochondria imbued in the cytoplasm. Processing this DNA is a very good technique to understand your maternal lineage.

    Summary

    The tools available to us today are incredibly accurate and powerful, allowing us to learn more about our roots for just a few tens of dollars.

    The greatest potential of these tests is biomedical, as matching all this biological data could lead to designing better treatments for certain haplotypes.

    Some impediments that we experience today with this type of testing are that the human haplotypes in the databases are not complete, and samples from various more inaccessible regions such as Australian Aborigines or Eskimos have yet to be sequenced.

    Societies of the future will most likely end up implementing a DNA ancestry test as a matter of course.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    1. How does an ancestry DNA test differ from a conventional test?

    The difference lies in how they interpret the information. Ancestry DNA tests can look at Y DNA, which reveals paternal lineage; mitochondrial DNA, which reveals maternal lineage; or autosomal DNA, which reveals gradual evolutionary and population dynamics changes in all chromosomes.

    2. Can two tests be ordered at the same time with the same sample?

     It is usual for a company to offer a "Health + Ancestry" service or similar packages because they are complementary data that only need to be analyzed by another algorithm.

    3. Is it possible that the ancestry DNA test results are wrong?

    Yes, it is possible that there is an error in the sequencing reaction, typically up to 2% of recognized base pairs. However, this is a very low error rate and should not affect the reads, as they are being compared against large databases that have individually had the same error rate.

    4. Will my genome be public?

    Each company has its own privacy policy, but normally they will not release your data without asking you. However, it is quite possible that they will use your sequences privately to swell their database; keep in mind that these are large numbers that will greatly help genomic and paleogenomic research.