The best DNA test depends on what you want to learn. AncestryDNA is the strongest choice for ethnicity breakdowns and finding relatives, 23andMe leads for health and trait reports, and FamilyTreeDNA offers specialized tools for serious genealogists tracing paternal or maternal lines. No single kit does everything well, so the real question is what matters most to you.
Best for Ethnicity and Finding Relatives
AncestryDNA has the largest consumer DNA database, with tens of millions of users. That sheer volume matters more than anything else when it comes to finding biological relatives, because your chances of a match scale directly with the number of people who’ve tested. If you’re searching for birth parents, half-siblings, or distant cousins, the biggest database gives you the best odds.
Beyond matching, AncestryDNA connects your genetic results directly to a family tree builder backed by millions of historical records: census data, immigration documents, birth certificates, and more. You can validate DNA matches against a paper trail, which is what separates a promising match from a confirmed connection. For most people who simply want to explore their heritage and see where their ancestors came from, this is the test to start with.
Best for Health Reports
23andMe is the only major consumer kit with FDA-authorized health risk reports. These cover genetic predispositions for specific conditions, carrier status for inherited diseases, and trait reports like caffeine metabolism and sleep patterns. One notable report screens for three specific variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes linked to increased risk of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer.
There’s an important limitation here. The BRCA screening, for example, checks only three variants most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Thousands of other BRCA mutations exist. One study found that this approach misses nearly 90 percent of people carrying risky BRCA mutations. So a “no variants detected” result does not mean you’re in the clear, especially if you have a family history of cancer. Consumer health reports are a starting point, not a diagnosis.
That caveat applies broadly to all direct-to-consumer health testing. An analysis of 49 patient samples found inaccuracies in 40 percent of results from consumer genetic tests, with high rates of false positives. Any concerning finding from a consumer kit should be confirmed through clinical-grade testing ordered by a healthcare provider.
Best for Deep Genealogy
FamilyTreeDNA fills a niche that AncestryDNA and 23andMe don’t. It offers dedicated Y-DNA testing (tracing the direct paternal line) and mitochondrial DNA testing (tracing the direct maternal line). These are powerful tools for surname research, breaking through brick walls in your family tree, and tracing migration paths across centuries. AncestryDNA and 23andMe only test autosomal DNA, which is useful for connections within the past five or six generations but fades quickly beyond that.
FamilyTreeDNA also accepts uploads from other testing companies. You can transfer your raw data from AncestryDNA or 23andMe for free matching, with advanced tools available for $19. This makes it a cost-effective second step after testing elsewhere.
Best for International Matches
MyHeritage has a growing user base that skews heavily European. If your ancestry traces to Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, or the Mediterranean, you may find matches on MyHeritage that don’t appear in AncestryDNA’s more North American-heavy pool. MyHeritage also accepts raw data uploads from other companies, so you can expand your reach without buying another kit. Matching is free after upload, with detailed ethnicity and health reports available for $29.
Whole Genome Sequencing: A Different Category
Standard consumer kits from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and MyHeritage all use the same basic technology: SNP genotyping. This reads specific, pre-selected points across your genome, typically around 600,000 to 700,000 locations. It’s fast, affordable, and sufficient for ethnicity estimates, relative matching, and basic health screening.
Whole genome sequencing reads your entire DNA sequence, capturing orders of magnitude more data. Where genotyping might check 700,000 points, whole genome sequencing identifies hundreds of millions of variants. Companies like Nebula Genomics and Dante Labs offer this to consumers, usually at a significantly higher price point. The tradeoff is straightforward: far more data, but much of it has no clear interpretation yet. For most people interested in ancestry or basic health insights, standard genotyping is plenty. Whole genome sequencing is worth considering if you want the most complete dataset possible, perhaps to revisit as science advances.
Using Your Raw Data Across Platforms
One underappreciated advantage of DNA testing is that you only need to buy one kit. All three major companies (AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and MyHeritage) let you download your raw data file. You can then upload that file to other platforms to get additional analysis without paying for another test.
GEDmatch is the most popular free upload site. It pools data from all major testing companies into one searchable database, making it especially useful for adoptees and people searching for biological family. FamilyTreeDNA and MyHeritage both accept transfers as well. Third-party tools like Promethease can analyze your raw file for health-related variants at low cost.
The download process is simple across all providers. On AncestryDNA, go to your DNA settings and select “Download Raw Data.” On 23andMe, find the option under Browse Raw Data in your profile. On MyHeritage, select Manage DNA kits and click the download option. Each gives you a file you can upload to any compatible platform.
One caution: third-party analysis of raw DNA data is not held to the same standards as a certified laboratory. Results from upload sites should be treated as informational, not clinical.
Privacy Considerations
When you send a DNA sample to any company, you’re handing over the most personal data you have. Both 23andMe and AncestryDNA have publicly committed to resisting law enforcement access to their databases. But the landscape is more complicated than company promises suggest.
Law enforcement has used consumer DNA databases to solve cases, most famously the arrest of the Golden State Killer in 2018 after investigators uploaded crime scene DNA to several platforms. Since then, law enforcement has pursued suspects in hundreds of cases through “family trees” on platforms like GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA. The FBI has even uploaded casework DNA profiles to platforms that don’t authorize law enforcement use, contradicting its own guidance.
On the legislative side, only a minority of states have enacted data privacy laws relevant to genetic testing. A proposed federal Genomic Data Protection Act would give consumers a right to delete their genetic data and require opt-in consent before law enforcement could access company databases. Until such protections are in place, the burden falls on you. If you decide to delete your account, do it proactively, because proposed rules would require consumers to act before any company sale or policy change takes effect.
Before testing, check each company’s current privacy policy for details on data sharing with third parties, data retention after account deletion, and whether your sample is physically destroyed or stored.
Quick Comparison
- AncestryDNA: Largest database, best for finding relatives and building a family tree with historical records. No health reports.
- 23andMe: FDA-authorized health and carrier reports, solid ancestry estimates, smaller database than AncestryDNA.
- FamilyTreeDNA: Only major company offering Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA tests for deep lineage research. Accepts free uploads.
- MyHeritage: Strong European user base, affordable upload option for additional matching and ethnicity analysis.
- Nebula Genomics / Dante Labs: Whole genome sequencing for the most comprehensive raw data, at a higher price and with less immediate actionability.
If you’re choosing just one kit, AncestryDNA gives the broadest value for the price. If health insights are your priority, 23andMe is the clear pick. And if you’re a serious genealogist, test with AncestryDNA first for the database size, then upload your raw data to FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch to maximize your reach.