Ancestry vs. 23andMe: Which is the best DNA testing kit for you?

I tried the AncestryDNA kit, which comes with a saliva collection tube and cap, a return bag, and a prepaid return label box. To register the kit, I downloaded the Ancestry app and scanned the barcode on the side of the collection tube. You can also register your kit online and simply enter the number manually.

When you create an account, the app asks for your consent to several items, including consent to process your sample, to store the sample if you want future testing, and to participate in research. The research includes surveys and questionnaires that AncestryDNA says it will use to try to better understand human history and health.

I refused to agree to store my sample or participate in research. AncestryDNA asks several questions about your health history. You can edit what information becomes public or private on the site and how you want it to appear to other users if your DNA matches someone else’s. You will have the opportunity to review all information before proceeding.

Read more: In the future, not even your DNA will be sacred

Ancestry doesn’t use the standard Y-chromosome and/or mitochondrial DNA methodologies that most others use – so we know less about how it actually analyzes DNA.

After spitting in the tube, I mailed the kit and confirmed it was sent in the app. The app “tracked” the kit from receipt at the lab to processing and beyond before telling me the results were ready.

Your results will include an AncestryHealth report and an Ethnicity Score report. AncestryDNA also tells you which other users your DNA closely matches. It tagged my aunt, who also used the site, as close family. The app allowed me to compare our ethnicity scores and allowed me to message her.

Read more: What AncestryDNA taught me about DNA, privacy, and the complicated world of genetic testing

Pros:

• You can refuse to have your sample stored or participate in research.
• The AncestryHealth report was divided into Notable Health Scores, Health Scores, and Wellness Scores. The reports include information about your cancer risks, carrier status for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, and your blood health.
• Wellness reports give you information about your vitamin levels, among other things.
• AncestryHealth can flag potential health conditions based on the family history you’ve shared or through variants found in your DNA sample.
• You receive Ethnicity Assessment Reportwhich indicates which regions of the world your ancestors were most likely associated with. This area of ​​the map was color coded along with the others that my DNA was linked to. AncestryDNA’s region list contains over 1,000 regions that your sample is tested against, so you’ll also see where your DNA failed.

Cons:

• The family tree aspect and the DNA aspect required two separate applications. The desktop version keeps everything in one place if you’re using a browser.
• The health screening does not have Food and Drug Administration approval.

I tried the Health and Ancestry kit, which came with a saliva collection tube and cap, a return bag, and a prepaid box with a return label. Like AncestryDNA, 23andMe also requires kit registration (in-app or online) prior to testing. I downloaded the app and scanned the barcode on the side of the manifold. You can also enter the code manually.

The 23andMe suite asked for consent for several items when I created an account, as did AncestryDNA. I could store my sample for future testing, participate in research, receive health reports, and had the ability to share my step data from a fitness app for a more comprehensive view of my activity. I refused everything except the health reports.

Unlike Ancestry, 23andMe does have FDA approval as a risk screener for a handful of genetic conditions and diseases. If you’re primarily interested in DNA testing for this purpose, 23andMe is the better choice.

The app tracked my sample’s journey to the lab and the DNA extraction process. The app tested 216 populations to generate the report.

23andMe can display the results in a timeline, so you can see roughly how many generations ago your most recent ancestor came from each region. For example, my results showed a small trace of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, but my chronology showed that the relative would have lived five to eight generations ago. You can also view your results as a chromosome map that shows where in your chromosomes a particular region matches and how widespread it is.

There were many aspects to explore in the results. For example, 23andMe gave me more information about each region that my DNA matched. If I tapped the icon for each country, 23andMe told me about the region’s history and people’s migration patterns over time, and also provided resources for learning about the culture, ways to book an Airbnb to visit, and other features. I could also search for possible relatives among 23andMe users and found my mother’s cousin.

Pros:

• 23andMe is FDA approved as a risk screener.
• 23andMe health reports include predispositions, carrier status, health, characteristics and a health action plan. Tested for predispositions to Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, celiac disease and more. The lab will test for certain genetic variants.
• The wellness report included interesting things like whether or not you sleep deeply, how likely you are to move in your sleep, genetic weight, and other factors.
• The reported traits are particularly interesting. They detail how likely I am to have a certain eye color, hate cilantro, have freckles, hate eating sounds, get bitten by more mosquitoes, and more.

Cons:

• Like AncestryDNA, 23andMe clarified that test results are not a diagnosis or a guarantee that you won’t be diagnosed with a disease later.