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AncestryDNA VS 23andMe Comparison Review: Best DNA Test 2023

When I decided to look into DNA testing, I found several genetic testing companies that offer DNA test kits under $150. Two, in particular, AncestryDNA and 23andMe, seemed to be the most popular.  I already had a tree at Ancestry, which made their service attractive, but I had heard 23andMe provides more information than the AncestryDNA test. Eventually, I ended up testing with both–mostly because I couldn’t find any information on which was the best DNA test. Now having tried AncestryDNA and 23andMe’s test, I thought it might be helpful to share an in-depth AncestryDNA vs 23andMe review and comparison.

Note that both companies make updates to better their service fairly often.  I do my best to keep this page updated as both 23andMe and AncestryDNA also give users who have previously tested those updates.

AncestryDNA vs 23andme comparison chart

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AncestryDNA vs 23andMe cost comparison
About the ethnic mix profiles
23andMe Ancestry timeline
AncestryDNA Genetic Communities
Top surnames
23andMe Maternal/Paternal line
23andMe Neanderthal percentage
AncestryDNA vs 23andMe matches and database size
Raw DNA download
AncestryDNA vs 23andMe – Accuracy

FAQ

The final call: Which is Better 23andMe or AncestryDNA?

 

First, the basics, AncestryDNA vs 23andMe testing cost and offerings:

AncestryDNA cost: $99 includes DNA test kit, ethnic mix profile, DNA matches, DNA circles, genetic communities, and raw DNA.

The AncestryDNA DNA test is actually cheaper via Amazon Prime due to free shipping, but if you order direct from AncestryDNA you can get 15% off with this referral link. With both options, it’s worth checking out Rakuten. They are a cash-back shopping site that pays quarterly via PayPal. AncestryDNA is usually at around 7.5% cash back, and Amazon is about 3%.

23andMe cost: $99 includes DNA test kit, ethnic mix profile, ancestry timeline, maternal/paternal line origin (paternal for males only, requires Y chromosome), Neanderthal percentage, top surnames, DNA matches, and raw DNA.

Note: Both 23andMe and AncestryDNA now offer different service levels. The prices above are for the basic DNA heritage tests.

At 23andMe, if you wish to include medical risk profiles, such as the carrier status report, trait report, and health insights, the test cost increases to $199. Recently 23andMe also became available on Amazon Prime for $99 with free shipping or $199 with free shipping.  I have also published an in-depth breakdown of the two testing options here. 23andMe will also be increasing their prices on August 15, 2023.

AncestryDNA released “traits” in 2018, which offers 35+ trait reports influenced by your genes. Note, that for the most part these are not related to health predispositions and are more “for fun.” For example, you’ll get reports on how your genes influenced your hair and eye color.  You can upgrade your current test results to include the traits service for $20, or for new users, this service level is $199 (just like 23andMe) and includes a three-month all-access subscription to AncestryDNA’s family-tree research tools and database. A version of the traits upgrade without the subscription is also available on Amazon for $119.

So, cost-wise, AncestryDNA and 23andMe are the same whether you opt for the health predisposition report and medical risk profiles or traits. The process to complete both tests is the same as well. You’ll be sent a DNA test kit in the mail that includes a small tube and instructions on how to provide a saliva sample. You basically spit in the tube, add the provided preservative, seal it in the pre-paid shipping envelope, send it back to the lab, and wait.

As far as AncestryDNA vs 23andMe processing times, both tests were about the same, I received results roughly a month after returning the DNA kit. However, wait times depend on how busy the labs are. So, in times when test sales tend to be higher, such as after promotional offers, wait times tend to be longer. To my understanding, the month I saw was about standard, but some people see double that.

Both companies regularly offer sales around Saint Patrick’s day, Mother’s Day/Father’s Day, Thanksgiving/Black Friday, and Christmas. Sale prices usually vary between 10-50% off. The 50% off discount offers rarely apply to the health risk report upgrade at 23andMe.

Now, in-depth the best DNA test AncestryDNA vs 23andMe:

Ethnic Mix profile:

Both AncestryDNA and 23andMe offer this. Basically, your genes are compared to samples from specific populations of people, and you’re given a percentage match for each. In April 2018, 23andMe added 151 new counties to their profiles providing more precise country-based estimates. The 23andMe report for comparison to AncestryDNA below is updated to this newer version. In order to be fair, I also updated my AncestryDNA results. They are the same statistically, though a redesign occurred since this review was originally written. Their reports are a bit more interactive and “pretty” than before.

23andme vs ancestrydna comparison review best DNA test
AncestryDNA vs 23andMe

As you can see, in ways my reports are the same. Both profiles find a very small percentage of West African (Mali) and Native American, with the vast majority being European. AncestryDNA claimed a large percentage was “Europe West” and “Great Britain.” While 23andMe seemed to favor “British and Irish” and “French/German,” but also found a bit of “Scandinavian” and “Ashkenazi Jewish.” France and Germany happen to be in western Europe so really my reports are pretty close.

Since the update, 23andMe’s report is far more detailed. For instance, while AncestryDNA had a similar percentage of British/Irish for me, 23andMe shows that DNA most likely originated in the UK, rather than Ireland. I did include the entire report here, including regions I have no DNA in, so that you could see all the categories. This report is sort of a compressed Frankenstein made in MS Paint from screenshots to reduce white space in an attempt to fit it better on this page (sorry mobile users). Your result will be more in a scrollable page format. This image (and all those on this page actually) can be clicked to visit a full-size attachment page if you have trouble with the small print.

ancestrydna vs 23andme best DNA 2018
The dots represent the percentage match you have for people who originate from that particular country. 23andMe expanded on this offering even more in 2019 and continues to build on it (my ethnic mix has changed many times since I originally tested at this point). They now narrow down their DNA estimates to specific regions/towns where possible. I only received suggestions for one country, but it was cool to see the report getting so specific.

23andme ethnicity report specific

While 23andMe’s country list is far larger, AncestryDNA has actually been doing this for years to some degree. If you click each category in your report, a bar will show up (as seen below) that gives a range. This is your percentage match with people from that region. For comparison, in the UK, 23andMe had me at 5 circles (it does not specify what each circle represents percentage-wise) and AncestryDNA said 6 to 61 percent.ancestrydna vs 23andme comparison review

The interactive portion of AnctestryDNA’s site update did also enhance its family tree research ability. By picking a time frame (bar at the bottom of the picture), you can view more detail on each time period, including actual people in your tree (if you have one). This feature would be less neat without a tree, and while you can build one for free if you know your family history, searching and viewing sources on Ancestry does require a subscription to their ancestry service. You are usually offered a steep discount off of that subscription with your test purchase or you can use my referral link to save 30%.

ancestrydna vs 23andme review comparison

In reality, from what is known of my family lines I have a great deal of Norwegian, French, British, and Scottish, so both AncestryDNA and 23andMe’s reports seem plausible. This brings me to an important point.

Ethnicity estimates from DNA testing like this are genetic heritage, not genealogical. You could think of your genes like one big historical bag of traits including genes from all of your ancestors. The actual genes that make you up are just a random roll of the dice from those genes. So, while the last three generations of your line may be, say, straight from Norway, your genes could represent family from thousands of years ago.

That being said, then why did AncestryDNA and 23andMe get different results? It’s mostly in how they are weighing their sample sources. Personally, I felt both profiles were useful, particularly combined. Europe is such a jumble of genes it’s hard to say what came from what population. That’s where “broadly” European comes into play. To me this says my genes are heavily European, likely northwestern—Scotland, Norway, Britain, and France—my actual known heritage— included.

AncestryDNA and 23andMe do differ in that at 23andMe if you have a parent test, they will update your genetic report by incorporating your parent’s results. You can read more on this process here. After this review was written my mother tested at 23andMe, and my percentages did change. You can see a comparison of those two reports down below under, “AncestryDNA vs 23andMe accuracy.” You’re also given a report showing your parent’s ancestry. If only one parent tests, the missing parent’s ancestry is filled in as a guess using your DNA and your tested parent’s DNA. This is possible because you get 50% of your DNA from each parent.

ancestrydna vs 23andme review best dna test 2018

AncestryDNA started to offer something similar, albeit a bit clunky, in 2022. It guesses at DNA estimates for your parents, but even though my dad has tested at AncestryDNA, and he was properly marked as my father in my matches, his actual results weren’t used in my “DNA Origins” report nor was my ethnicity report updated with his results. You can edit your parent and assign one result to your maternal or paternal line, but I was unable to find an easy way to just assign my father’s results as my paternal side.

AncestryDNA DNA Origins

23andMe Ancestry timeline:

Early in 2017, 23andMe added a new ancestry timeline to their ancestry composition results. This is a timeline guessing at the time frame that certain genes entered your ancestry. You can hover over each bar to get more detailed information, such as which ancestor the genes may have come from (ex/ great-grandparent).

ancestry timeline 23andme

AncestryDNA Genetic Communities

Possibly in reaction to 23andMe, AncestryDNA also revealed a new feature in 2017 called genetic communities. By comparing your DNA to your matches and their family origin locations, a map is built guessing at areas your family may have actually lived. You can see a screenshot of my results below. You get a short history of the region, the probability of this match being accurate for you, matches that were used to determine the region, and common surnames in the region. This same info is used in the interactive map I shared above.

Top surnames:

You’ll find this on your DNA relatives tab on both AncestryDNA and 23andMe. It combs through your DNA matches and compiles a count of surnames associated with those matches. My matches, for example, told me I had 44 matches with the surname “Smith” and 33 with “Johnson.” This is a fast way to identify likely family lines. AncestryDNA gave this area a huge update in 2022, filtering your results by those likely to be from your maternal or paternal line. As mentioned earlier, I was disappointed I was unable to actually assign my father’s DNA to filter my paternal results, but their guesses were accurate in most cases for known relatives.

ancestry DNA genetic communities

Overall, in regards to ethnicity reports alone when comparing AncestryDNA vs 23andMe, I’d say AncestryDNA is the best DNA test for tracking genealogical heritage, and 23andMe is the best DNA test on the genetic information end as they do indeed offer much more genetic goodies.

Those extra 23andMe genetic goodies include…

Maternal/Paternal line:

I’m not a scientist, so I’ll just use their description of this service, “…haplogroups are families of mitochondrial DNA types that all trace back to a single mutation at a specific place and time. By looking at the geographic distribution of mtDNA types, we learn how our ancient female ancestors migrated throughout the world.” My results (to give you a sample) are shown below.

23andme maternal line

As a female, I only got my maternal line. The paternal haplogroup is from a Y chromosome. As a result, to get this info my father or brother would have to test. To clarify here as there have been numerous comments now asking about this, 23andMe and AncestryDNA are both autosomal DNA tests. This means that no matter your gender, unlike with Y-DNA testing, you will get results from both your maternal and paternal lines in regard to ancestry.

In late 2017, 23andMe expanded their haplogroup information to include a much better explanation of what haplogroups are as well as the ability to trace your line back throughout time. You get a brief look at where and when each mutation in the group occurred, how common your group is, and famous relatives that also shared your haplogroup. I got Marie Antoinette!

Neanderthal ancestry percentage:

This is just what it sounds like, a percentage measure of your DNA inherited from Neanderthal genetics as well as traits likely to result of the variants you have in particular. For instance, I have a variant more likely to result in straight hair (though my hair is not straight).

I do question the accuracy here. I tested with AncestryDNA first, and curious about this part I ran my DNA through a calculator designed by an expert in Neanderthal DNA at Standford (Link removed. Unfortunately, this tool is no longer active). It counted known Neanderthal alleles and listed them. I had 16, the average is 5-6. My husband also tested at 23andMe. According to them, he is more Neanderthal than I am, but according to the Interpretome calculator, it’s significantly the other way around (he had 11, pics below). I suppose what this will confirm is that you have some at all (most people do.)

23andme interpretome

 

Lark Digital Health Couch App:

In 2019, 23andMe collaborated with Lark to create a fitness app that integrates your genetics after you link your 23andMe account. I can’t review this service, as I didn’t choose to subscribe, but will include the basics here as it is technically a “perk” of choosing 23andMe over AncestryDNA. The app offers two paid programs. The Wellness program, which focuses on sleep, exercise, diet, and weight and runs $19.99 a month, and the Diabetes prevention program, which clearly aims to reduce your risk of diabetes and comes with a scale and Fitbit (unless you self-pay). This program may be covered by your insurance.

The free version of the app only allows you to track activity and sleep, and only from your phone– you must manually enter any wearable device info such as data from your Fitbit unless it will sync with the default activity tracker on your phone. Personally, given the cost and the lack of compatibility with wearable devices, I didn’t find this service worth paying for, but if your insurance covers it, it may be useful. As a side note, if you are interested in improving your health via DNA information, DNAFit can be used with AncestryDNA or 23andMe results.

AncestryDNA vs 23andMe DNA matches and database size:

Back to a service that both tests offer. Both show you DNA matches and estimate closeness. Here were my match stats when I first tested:

AncestryDNA: 2 second cousins, 2 third cousins, 93 fourth cousins, 5,003 distant cousins!
23andMe: 10 2/3rd, 852 fourth, 62 distant

Results there will obviously vary, but I’d wager AncestryDNA has a larger pool of matches from those results. In 2023, I’d win that wager with AncestryDNA’s FAQ listing their database size as 22 million, and 23andMe stating less than half that at 10 million.

The real difference is in ease of genealogical use though. Why I’d say Ancestry is the best DNA test if you’re looking to confirm or create your family tree is that they filter your matches by name matches in your tree. No effort. You click the leaf filter, then click a match with a leaf, and it shows common names in your trees so you can see just where you relate. Now the catch, some trees are private, and out of over 5,000 matches, I had 14 DNA/common tree member matches. These helped me tremendously, but it is disappointing the percentage was so small. Even without a common member, many matches’ trees were a click away to search for common surnames.

AncestryDNA match screen:

best DNA test for family finding
I did attempt to make a tree over at 23andMe, but they outsource that to “MyHeritage tree.” A family tree service that is in my opinion a bit clunky—and worse expensive—more so than ancestry’s tree builder even. I also could not and still do not see an easy way to compare matches to trees at MyHeritage. In fact, I don’t even see an indication of whether a match has a tree. To find out, you have to contact every single match to ask. Something I could see wasting a great deal of time, making AncestryDNA a clear winner as far as family tree research in an AncestryDNA vs 23andMe comparison.

Sample of 23andMe match screen (updated):

23andme DNA test match screen

Finally, raw DNA data download.

This is just a copy of your raw data from your DNA results. Both AncestryDNA and 23andMe offer this. You can do some other cool things with it, such as the Neanderthal test I linked back there.

My favorite though is Promethease. This report costs $12 and cross-checks your genes against studies done on individual variations. For example, it found I have a gene that makes me sneeze at sunlight, and another that makes cilantro taste like soap. Many of these points were also included in my trait and wellness report at 23andMe, but Promethease had tons more. The report also reveals more serious health screening info, like increased genetic risk for medical conditions and disorders. It is well worth the $12, and, again, shows more than 23andMe’s expensive genetic health risks report upgrade. If you’re interested in weight loss and exercise, Athletigen is fun too, though not all their health reports are free.

Additionally, raw DNA can be loaded to GEDcom and FTDNA for more genealogical matches. FTDNA also has an ethnicity report, though it lacks detail.
FTDNA

AncestryDNA vs 23andMe – Accuracy:

Both DNA testing companies are clear in their FAQ that ethnicity reports are estimates. Accuracy, then, will obviously vary, because well, that’s the nature of an estimate.

In April 2018, for one day only, 23andMe allowed AncestryDNA customers to upload their raw DNA for ancestry composition reports. I made a new account and uploaded my raw AncestryDNA data. By doing so, I was able to directly compare AncestryDNA vs 23andMe data results using AncestryDNA data at 23andMe. The results were indeed not the same. However, it occurred to me that my mother testing changed my 23andMe results. So I dug into my media archive for my results from before my mother tested (that’s why they look different), and still, the results are different.

I ended up with four different DNA ancestry composition results: 23andMe after my mother tested, 23andMe before my mother tested, 23andMe using AncestryDNA data, and AncestryDNA itself.

ancestrydna vs 23andme accuracy

What does this tell us? The differences in your test results from 23andMe to AncestryDNA are not just in how they weigh their DNA sample sources. The data pulled from your DNA at each service does actually differ slightly as well. What is largely the same on all four is which regions DNA showed up in at all. The percentages vary, but only two regions aren’t in all four reports. These include “Ashkenazi Jewish” (it was in 2/4), and “Broadly South Asian/Caucasus” (it was in 2/4 also). Both of these regions are less than 1 percent in those reports they show in.

Accuracy wise then, it’s probably safe to conclude that these tests will tell you which regions your DNA came from, but the percentages of each may not be perfect. A couple of media outlets have tested identical siblings (who should have had identical results), and their findings were similar. The regions matched up, but the percentages didn’t.

23andMe vs AncestryDNA FAQ:

While all these questions are answered in the in-depth review above, I realize this review is a small book at this point, so I’ve pulled out some key points testers often wonder about here.

Is a DNA test 100% accurate?

Your DNA matches come with a high degree of accuracy regardless of whether you test with 23andMe or AncestryDNA. For instance, if the test says someone is your parent, it’s highly unlikely that result is inaccurate. The closer the relation, the more accurate the result. However, when it comes to the accuracy of things like nationality and ethnicity estimates, the results are more subjective. You can be fairly confident in the regions your test lists, but less so in the percentages for each region.

Is AncestryDNA or 23andMe more accurate? Why are my results so different?

Both companies boast similar test evaluation methods and accuracy ratings. If you’ve taken both tests like I have and got different results, it’s because the two companies use different sample populations and their raw DNA results also differ slightly. If you download and compare your raw DNA files, you’ll notice that while the bulk of the data matches, AncestryDNA lists more nucleotide base pairs than 23andMe. Even so, this doesn’t suggest that AncestryDNA is more accurate than 23andMe, just that each takes a slightly different approach to generate your results.

My results are inaccurate! Why were my results wrong?

If you know your family history, you might be surprised that your AncestryDNA or 23andMe results show your ethnicity estimate doesn’t match where your ancestors were actually from, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your results are inaccurate. Your ethnicity estimate represents your genetic heritage rather than your genealogical heritage. Your DNA is compared against populace samples from specific regions to estimate where that DNA likely originated and may not represent where your ancestors actually lived.

Can I upload my 23andMe data to AncestryDNA or vice versa?

While 23andMe did allow users to upload AncestryDNA data at one point (for a single day), neither company regularly allows this option. You can download your raw DNA, but can’t upload it to the competitor’s site to expand your potential relative match pool. You’ll have to pay for a new test. You can, however, upload your raw DNA result to some other sites, such as GEDmatch or Family Tree DNA for more matches.

Is AncestryDNA or 23andMe cheaper?

Outside of sales and discounts, AncestryDNA and 23andMe are the same price if medical risk profiles and traits are not added.

When does AncestryDNA go on sale? How about 23andMe?

AncestryDNA and 23andMe sales are most common at Saint Patrick’s day, Mother’s Day/Father’s Day, Thanksgiving/Black Friday, and Christmas. Sale prices usually vary between 10-50% off. You can also get 15% off AncestryDNA and 10% off 23andMe at any time by using my referral code.

How long will it take to get my 23andMe or AncestryDNA results?

AncestryDNA and 23andMe processing times depend on how busy the labs are. In times when test sales tend to be higher, such as after promotions, wait times tend to be longer. Average processing times for both companies are around 3 to 6 weeks. You can often find processing time estimates for the current month on sites like Reddit.

The final call – Best DNA test: Which is Better 23andMe or AncestryDNA?

When comparing 23andMe vs AncestryDNA testing options, which is better depends on why you want to undergo DNA testing in the first place. If it’s to find family or expand your family tree via genealogy, I’d vote AncestryDNA. If you want genetic heritage info, 23andMe offers more. Testing with both obviously offers the best of both worlds.

Still undecided? Drop me a comment with your questions.  I’ll do my best to help, or you can dive even deeper into each test individually with our in-depth review of AncestryDNA and 23andMe review.

 

23andme Health Reports Alternative: Promethease Review 2023

Many who question the price-doubling effect of adding health reports to their 23andme DNA test wonder if there are any 23andme health report alternatives. The answer is yes, sort of. At Promethease you can use your raw DNA from a variety of testing services (including 23andme and AncestryDNA) to receive health reports. These reports include all the information in 23andme’s report (you can see a full review of 23andme’s service here), and more—much more. Promethease’s report includes thousands of results. My report included 22,168 reports to be exact (this is also why there will not be a list of all reports given listed here).

What exactly is Promethease’s health report?

Unlike 23andme’s health report which neatly singles out certain traits and health risks for you, Promethease runs your raw DNA report against a large SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) database. This database includes research from a variety of sources on individual SNP’s in regards to, well, everything from physical traits to reactions to certain medications.

I’ll do my best to highlight the various sections of Promethease’s health report below.

Once your report is ready (average prep times range from around 2 to 15 minutes), you’ll be asked if you want to download your report. This is recommended, because your report won’t be stored online forever. The downloaded zip file offers an offline version of the report reviewed below.

The Promethease health report:

23andme health reports alternative control

When your report loads you’re taken to a screen that will show your gender with a control bar to your right and an immediate list of gene variants tagged by research. There’s no navigation screen, it just starts you on a very long list of results. You are, however, given a tutorial, and some great tools to sift through this massive data pile.

At the top of the page you’ll see a search bar for simple quick searches. For example, if you wanted to see all information on your eye color, by typing “eyes,” your report would automatically update (you don’t need to hit enter) to all those results flagged “eyes.” As you can see below, the graph beside your search bar will also change. This graph shows the number of results flagged good (green), bad (red), or unspecified (grey).

You’ll also notice that the reports you receive vary in detail. In the top result for “eyes,” only a brief description is given and a “magnitude” (the level of interest other users have in this information). While the second result shows this as well as the frequency of its occurrence overall and in particular groups. Some results won’t show any information at all. They may just be variants we know exist, but haven’t figured out what do yet.

23andme health reports alternatives eyes

On the left you’re given a more detailed search filter. There are pull downs which list all possible tags for all topics, medications, conditions, diseases, magnitude matches, reference populations, and more. This section works much like the search bar as far as auto-updating and doesn’t require explanation. At the top of this search box, however, there are some more neat features that are easy to overlook. “Help” and “reset” obviously lead to a help section and reset the search form to default.

“Table” is the first that strays over to the “neat” realm. This option takes your search results (everything when set on default) and shows it in an easier-to-browse, sortable table. Clicking any header, such as “repute” will change the order of your results allowing you to easily see all reports flagged “good,” for example. The downside is items in the table can’t be expanded for further detail, so if you find something you’d like to read more about, you have to search that on your main report.

23andme health reports alternative table

“Graph” seems a little less useful. It takes all the visible reports in your search window (meaning even at default you’ll only see what you’ve loaded on the page), and builds this crazy moving graph of each result and the connected tags. What I found not-so-helpful about this is clicking a bubble simply zooms in on that area. It doesn’t open a window, nor do these bubbles really explain what each link is. For example, here you can see it shows “GS227” is associated with something to do with “taste,” but to see that report is showing that those with my variant are less prone to tasting bitter as they get older, I have to search, “GS227” on the main page.

23andme health reports alternative graph

Finally, “categories” shows the various drop-down filters in list form with bar graphs to show the number of good/bad/neutral reports. This is one section where clicking a link in the popup window will update your main page results. While it shows the same options as the pull downs on your search control does, it is a non-collapsing list making it easier to keep track of what you have and have not viewed.

23andme health reports alternative categories

Is Promethease a good 23andme health reports alternative?

The advantage of using Promethease as an alternative to 23andme health reports is that it offers more data for far less ($10 to 12 vs $100). The downside is it is a lot of data, and that data can take time to dig through.

It’s also important to note with both Promethease and 23andme health reports, having a genetic predisposition for a certain trait, condition, etc. doesn’t necessarily mean it will present itself. For instance, both reports told me I had a 78 percent change of lactose intolerance, and I’m not lactose intolerant.

I will also say that the data in my 23andme reports does match my Promethease report. I did go through and check them all. This make sense because 23andme contributes to the database Promethease uses.

23andme health report alternatives

The difference between the two is it takes more work to confirm information using Promethease as a 23andme health reports alternative. At 23andme, I can click “eye color” and it will just tell me that overall most of my gene variants say my eyes are blue or green. At Promethease, I have to read all 67 results most of which indicate a higher change of blue or green eyes.

In short, Promethease is an excellent alternative to 23andme’s health reports as it includes everything 23andme covers for far less cash, but you do have to work for it.

23andMe Review 2023: Are Health Reports Worth the Price?

23andme offers two different DNA testing “levels,” so to speak. You can get just the basic DNA test kit that comes with genetic heritage reports, DNA matches, and more for $99 or you can get the basic test plus genetic health risk reports for $199. That might leave a lot of you wondering if those genetic health reports are really worth more than double the price. So, let’s take a good look at what you get with each testing option so you can decide for yourself. You can also read a comparison of 23andme’s basic testing level and AncestryDNA’s test right here.

What do you get with the basic 23andme testing level?

The basic 23andme test comes with two main components: genetic heritage ancestry reports and DNA matches.

Genetic Heritage:

Not to be confused with your genealogical heritage, genetic heritage will estimate where your actual genes came from. Confused? Genealogical heritage refers to where the actual people in your family tree were from (IE, Grandma was from Norway). Genetic heritage refers to where the DNA you actually have came from. I often tell people to think of their genes like a bag of dice composed of all of their ancestor’s genes (Grandma included). Which of those genes makes up you really depends on a roll of those dice, meaning where those genes originated from geologically may also vary from where your recent ancestors were from.

23andme review 201823andme checks 31 primary DNA sample populations broken into 151 sub-categories. The actual regions percentages are given for include Western European, British and Irish, French and German, Scandinavian, Finnish, Southern European, Iberian, Sardinian, Italian, Balkin, Eastern European, Ashkenazi, Native American, East Asian, Japanese, Korean, Yukat, Mongolian, Chinese, South East Asian, West African, East African, Central and South African, North African, Middle Eastern, Oceanian, and finally unassigned.

The test will not separate “and” categories. For example, you will get one percentage for “French and German” not one for French and one for German, but these primary regions can be viewed in more detail as a match strength your genes showed to sample sources from individual countries, such as “France” and “Germany.” This strength is not given as a percentage. Below is my full report from this more in-depth section, you reach this report on your results by clicking “See all tested populations.” I’ve included all the regions, even those I had no match for, so that you can see the entire 151-country list. Alternately, here is 23andme’s help page listing their reference populations.

This also gives you a better idea of what each region includes. Many are confused by the “Native American” region in particular. Most think of Native American as the tribes we’ve come to know today in North America such as Cherokee or Blackfoot, but 23andme is using data samples from mostly South American countries (which are still native to the Americas). This is because, in 23andme’s own words, “In North America, Native American ancestry tends to be five or more generations back, so that little DNA evidence of this heritage remains.”

Your report will show on a single scroll-able page. The one shown here was created in MS Paint from multiple screenshots for a better page fit on the page (sorry mobile users). The more dots a country has, the higher the likelihood that you have ancestors from that location. For example, 48.2% of my DNA is “British & Irish” with a strong chance that many of those ancestors were from the United Kingdom rather than Ireland. As you can see, not all percentage regions are able to be broken down into a likely country of origin. In my sample here, 12.8% of my DNA is “French & German,” but 23andme was unable to determine which country that percentage was probably from.

23andMe has continued to build on their ethnicity reports, and in cases, can even narrow likely ethnicity down to a specific region or town. I have only received these specific results for one region thus far, but it is a neat feature. Note that my ethnicity percentages have also continued to change (it has been several years since I originally tested).

23andme ethnicity report specific

You can also view your results at 5 different levels: 90, 80, or 70 percent conservative or 50 percent speculative. Each of these levels guesses to some degree based on regional samples where segments of your DNA originated and then builds a percentage of your full genome from each area. The default report (pictured above) is set at 50%. To view other settings, visit the main ancestry composition page (the one you clicked “See all tested populations” on) and scroll down until you see, “Your Ancestry Composition Chromosome Painting,” then click, “Change confidence level.”
23andme review

This report is only given for the 31 sample regions, not the full 151-country report. At the bottom of the detailed 151-country report page, there is a confidence level selection dropbox, but that only affects your raw DNA data file. The first image below is a comparison of the raw DNA files that are used to build the chromosome painting at 50% vs 90%.

I did not include the entire report, because there are 144 cells (the reports are in Excel) and that would make for a very long image, but you get the idea. I included the file names because the “.5” or “.9” in this case are how you can tell what the report was set at.

23andme review raw download

These images below, on the other hand, are my actual results for 90 percent conservative and 50 percent speculative on the chromosome painting page (I know, it is annoying that they are not in the same place). As you can see, the more conservative the guess, the more “broadly” percentages you will get. While the more “speculative” guess will assign higher percentages to actual regions.
23andme review 2018 23andme review 2018

If your parents test on 23andme, your composition will also update based on their results, you can read more on this process here. A comparison of how my results changed when my mother tested is shown below. The visual differences in the report are because the without-parent results are from before 23andme updated and redesigned their site appearance. 23andme review
When viewing your matches you can compare your DNA side-by-side to your parent, and if one parent has tested but the other hasn’t, a guess will be shown for the second parent’s genetic ancestry (since you get 50% of your DNA from each parent).

Another feature of the ancestry composition page is your ancestry timeline. It shows where within your ancestry certain genes were likely to have come from. You can hover over each bar and a pop-up will elaborate as seen below.

ancestry timeline 23andme

Haplogroups:

Moving on to the next report, haplogroups. Everyone gets their maternal haplogroup, and males will be given their paternal haplogroup results as well. Haplogroups are groups of genes that are believed to be common to a particular genetic ancestor. This, in theory, would reveal where the very first person in your genetic line originated from– the birth of your gene line both maternal and paternal. Below are my maternal results. To get my paternal results, my father or brother would need to test. As an added well-that’s-nifty throw-in you’re also shown a common ancestor who shares your haplogroup. I got Marie Antoinette!

Neanderthal DNA:

The final genetic heritage section covers neanderthal ancestry and reveals how many of your genes are neanderthal variants. To gauge how high or low this number is, you’re also told how much of your DNA is neanderthal and how this compares to other 23andme testers.

23andme review neanderthal

The test also shows four traits common to certain variants and tells you if you have those variants. One for a likelihood of having straight hair, one for a likelihood of sneezing at dark chocolate (this is apparently a thing), one for a lower likelihood of back hair, and finally, one affecting height. You are also ranked against your family and friends (those you have a confirmed relation to).

23andme review neanderthal
DNA Relatives:

The other primary component of the basic 23andme DNA test is DNA relatives. This section compares your DNA to all other testers that have opted in and then provides you matches. Each match lists a probable relation (ex/ second cousin) as well as the amount of DNA shared.

23andme DNA test match screenThese matches can be searched or sorted by relationship, mom or dad’s side (if your parents have tested), the number of grandparents a match has with the same birthplace, and surname. The surname field also gives a count for each name ranking them from highest to lowest. This is quite helpful to quickly spot likely genetic lines.

When clicking into a match you are given more detail, including common surnames, locations of common ancestors (such as, say, you both said your grandma was from Norway), haplogroups, and genetic heritage. How much is shown depends on how much personal information you and the match have elected to share. This screen also allows you to contact your matches or choose to share more information. Unlike AncestryDNA’s match screen, 23andme regrettably lacks family tree matches.

Ok, now what do you get with the genetic health reports upgrade?

When ordering the $199 test from 23andme, you receive all of the above along with genetic health reports. These reports check for genetic variants known to pose a higher risk of developing certain conditions or traits. Please keep in mind that having the genetic predisposition for something doesn’t promise it will present itself, nor does the absence of variants guarantee you won’t develop a particular disease, disorder, or condition.

For example, my health reports gave me a high chance of being lactose intolerant. I’m not.  It’s best to discuss your results with your healthcare provider before making any medical decisions. There are 41 health condition carrier status reports, 19 traits reports, and 7 wellness reports. Below is a full list of the health predisposition reports offered by 23andme at this time (subject to change):

23andme DNA Test In addition to the carrier reports, you also get traits reports that measure your chances of having certain physical traits. These aren’t super vital to most people, as, well, we have eye balls and mirrors, but it is cool to see how much is actually a result of your genes. Current trait reports seem to be update often, but currently include:

  • Asparagus Odor Detection
  • Back Hair (available for men only)
  • Bald Spot (available for men only)
  • Bitter Taste Perception
  • Cheek Dimples
  • Cleft Chin
  • Earlobe Type
  • Earwax Type
  • Eye Color
  • Finger Length Ratio
  • Freckles
  • Hair Curliness
  • Light or Dark Hair
  • Male Hair Loss (available for men only)
  • Newborn Hair Amount
  • Photic Sneeze Reflex
  • Red Hair
  • Skin Pigmentation
  • Sweet Taste Preference
  • Toe Length Ratio
  • Unibrow
  • Widow’s Peak

Each report gives more detail on your likelihood of having each trait and how that compares to other users of a similar background.

23andme review DNA

Wellness reports, on the other hand, look at lifestyle and health-related traits, such as the before mentioned lactose intolerance, as well as alcohol flush reaction, caffeine consumption, deep sleep, sleep movement, muscle composition, saturated fat, and weight.

As of 2019, you can also connect your results to the Lark Health Coach app to receive diet and exercise advice based on your genetics. The free version of this app is limited and only includes sleep and activity tracking via your phone’s sensors (you can’t link wearable devices such as Fitbit unless they will tie into your phone’s default program). There are also two more comprehensive programs that run $19.99 a month– the Wellness program which includes diet, exercise, sleep, and activity tracking, and the Diabetes prevention program, which may be covered by your insurance. I did not subscribe to this service and can’t offer a user review as a result, but it could potentially be a perk for someone choosing 23andme.

Are the genetic health reports worth the money?

Sadly, 23andme must not realize you can pay for the standard test, download your raw DNA, and get health reports for $12 from Promethease. Worse, the Promethease report is far more detailed albeit more complicated and not FDA approved. What little 23andme told me matched what was in my Promethease report (23andme actually contributes to the database Promethease uses), but the Promethease report had thousands of matches (over 22,000). Below are a few screen cuts from my report back in 2015, as you can see, they flagged genes for all sorts of stuff.

promethease promethease DNA health report

Even the updated Neanderthal DNA info was on Promethease, but more genes were flagged.

Personally, I would not pay $199 for what I could get for $99+ $12 just to have it look pretty. Whether or not you would is up to you.

Promethease also redesigned their reports sometime between my original report running in 2015 and now, so I paid again just to review their “prettier” report for you (results do not stay online forever, but can be downloaded). It is still more complex than the 23andme result screens, but more user friendly. You can read our in-depth Promethease review here.

Remember that at 23andme every additional test you purchase is 10% off and shipping is combined, so you could save by finding others who would like to test and do a group order. 23andme is also now on Amazon Prime (basic test and genetics health reports version). If you want just one test, you can save on shipping this way.

I do hope this has helped you reach a decision between the $99 23andme DNA test and the $199 23andme genetic health reports test. If you have any questions or would like to see something added to this 23andme DNA test review and comparison, please let me know.