7 Best Ancestry DNA Tests in December 2024

Discover your ethnic breakdown, build your family tree, and find relatives with the best ancestry DNA test kits. We've compared the top options online for you, highlighting the best sales and coupons available.
7 Best Ancestry DNA Tests in December 2024
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Last update on December 5, 2024
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#1
Our #1 Choice
Ancestry
  • Receive percentages of your ethnicity estimate and regions
  • Trace your ancestors’ journey throughout time
  • Identify other relatives who have also taken Ancestry.com’s DNA test
  • Build a family tree that covers the map
  • Receive percentages of your ethnicity estimate and regions
  • Trace your ancestors’ journey throughout time
  • Identify other relatives who have also taken Ancestry.com’s DNA test
  • Build a family tree that covers the map
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#2
Living DNA
  • Ancestry tests cover up to 15 generations of maternal and paternal ancestry
  • Connect with relatives up to 13 degrees removed
  • Discover the migration history of your ancestors
  • Learn the migration history of your ancestors
  • Get the breakdown of your ancestry over 150 regions
  • Ancestry tests cover up to 15 generations of maternal and paternal ancestry
  • Connect with relatives up to 13 degrees removed
  • Discover the migration history of your ancestors
  • Learn the migration history of your ancestors
  • Get the breakdown of your ancestry over 150 regions
Our Rank
#3
MyHeritageDNA
  • Reveals your genetic heritage across 2000+ regions
  • Most popular DNA test in Europe
  • Connects you with new relatives around the world
  • 30-day free trial of family tree building and AI photo improvement features
  • Reveals your genetic heritage across 2000+ regions
  • Most popular DNA test in Europe
  • Connects you with new relatives around the world
  • 30-day free trial of family tree building and AI photo improvement features
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#4
Family Tree DNA
  • Determine both your patriarchal and matriarchal lineage
  • Receive a map of your European descendants
  • Directly email any familial matches and connect
  • Determine both your patriarchal and matriarchal lineage
  • Receive a map of your European descendants
  • Directly email any familial matches and connect
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#5
SelfDecode
  • Testing available for more than 500 lab markers
  • Personalized guidance on health improvement
  • Curated health blog based on your DNA data
  • Explain any condition with the Symptoms Analyzer
  • Import raw data from a variety of other services
  • Testing available for more than 500 lab markers
  • Personalized guidance on health improvement
  • Curated health blog based on your DNA data
  • Explain any condition with the Symptoms Analyzer
  • Import raw data from a variety of other services
Our Rank
#6
Nebula Genomics
  • Access to regularly updated ancestry reports
  • Tests both Y-DNA and mtDNA
  • Information never shared with third-parties
  • Access to regularly updated ancestry reports
  • Tests both Y-DNA and mtDNA
  • Information never shared with third-parties
Our Rank
#7
23andMe
  • Trace your DNA to analyze your lineage
  • Get a by-region breakdown of your ancestors
  • Get information on your maternal and paternal haplogroups
  • Learn how much Neanderthal DNA you’ve inherited
  • Find relatives via 23andMe’s DNA Relative Finder
  • Trace your DNA to analyze your lineage
  • Get a by-region breakdown of your ancestors
  • Get information on your maternal and paternal haplogroups
  • Learn how much Neanderthal DNA you’ve inherited
  • Find relatives via 23andMe’s DNA Relative Finder

Why Should You Consider a DNA Test Kit?

It’s human nature to want to better understand ourselves by connecting with our past. A report from a DNA test will give you a clearer picture of who you are, by pinpointing your ethnic and geographical origins, sometimes right down to the county level.

In the past decade, technology has advanced so much that there are numerous affordable and accurate ancestry DNA tests available. Our favorite ancestry DNA test is Ancestry as it offers great value-for-money with an ethnicity estimate, information on your recent ancestry, insights into the migration of your ancestors, and DNA matches.

Start Your Ancestry Journey With Ancestry Today!

How Are DNA Tests Continuing to Advance?

DNA science is continually evolving, new research is always being conducted, and methodologies and technologies are constantly improving. Accordingly, companies are steadily getting better at estimating, among other things:

  • The percentages of your ethnicity
  • Where your relatives lived
  • Your common ancestors in geographical groups

Plus companies – like FamilyTreeDNA – are getting increasingly better at pinpointing the migrations of your ancestors over generations.

Importantly, the reference populations of ancestry DNA testing companies are growing and changing all the time. That means that a test taken three years ago would probably give different results today, as more individuals have added their personal information. Thankfully, our top ancestry DNA testing companies will update your ethnicity estimate as things evolve.

Get Your Results Updated Regularly With Ancestry

Three Types of Ancestry DNA Tests

The three most common ancestry DNA tests are autosomal, mtDNA, and Y-DNA.

Autosomal DNA

The most common ancestry DNA test analyzes autosomes, which are the chromosomes that you inherit from both of your parents. This makes it ideal for discovering your heritage and ancestors going back as far as ten generations ago. This type of DNA analysis is usually very accurate and our top autosomal tests are from Ancestry, and 23andMe.

mtDNA

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is the kind that’s passed down exclusively from your mother. Analyzing mtDNA will reveal the migration patterns and ancestry of your maternal line. FamilyTreeDNA has an individual mtDNA test or LivingDNA includes mtDNA analysis in its standard ancestry test.

Y-DNA

Y-DNA is inherited from father to son from the Y-chromosome, meaning it’s not a suitable ancestry test for women. Through Y-DNA testing you’ll discover the migration pattern of your paternal line, all the way back to Africa tens of thousand years ago. FamilyTreeDNA has a number of Y-DNA testing option and Nebula Genomics is also a good choice

What Kind of Information Does an Ancestry DNA Test Provide?

A detailed look at your family history

Many DNA testing companies, such as LivingDNA and FamilyTreeDNA, are able to determine the migrations of your ancient ancestors. 

Information on relatives you never knew you had

The majority of ancestry DNA tests provide you with a list of DNA matches i.e. individuals who have taken the test, who share a percentage of DNA with you. For example, Ancestry has a DNA database of over 18 million users, making it incredibly likely that you’ll get a large number of DNA matches. You’ll not only learn how much DNA you share but also an estimate of the familial relationship. This can be especially fulfilling for individuals who were adopted.

A clearer picture of your ethnic origins

Ancestry DNA test results give you a vivid insight into your genetic heritage  – from recent to ancient ancestry. It does this by comparing short sections of your DNA to those of a reference population of known ancestry. By taking a close look at the genetic markers that are stongly linked to a particular ethnicity, ancestry DNA tests can give you percentage breakdown of you ethnicity estimate.

Discover Your Family History With Ancestry

How Do You Read Ancestry DNA Test Results?

You should find your ancestry DNA results easy to understand. Companies try to make everything as user-friendly as possible. Going through so much data can be overwhelming, but companies take steps to make it manageable.

When going through your ancestry results, here are some basic points to keep in mind:

  • Ethnicity percentages are just estimates
  • DNA matches show an estimated relationship
  • Health and wellness results should not be taken as a medical diagnosis of any condition

Why Do DNA Tests Show Regions and Not Countries?

Countries and “regions” are not the same thing. Countries are man-made constructs with no real, scientific relation to your genetics. Biogeographical regions, on the other hand, correlate with the locations of your genetic ancestors over generations. Ancestry, for example, looks at 42 different ethnic regions and over 2,100 genetic groups.

Your DNA contains certain genetic markers, which are the result of particular ethnic groups breeding within the same region over time. Groups that have mingled in the same region have genetic similarities. These regions typically overlap and happen naturally, unlike countries.

What Is a Reference Database?

A reference database is a collection of every person who’s taken a company’s DNA test and made their information available.AncestryDNA, for example, has the largest database with over 18 million users.

Depending on what your privacy settings are, your test results can be used to connect you to people in that database with whom you share a genetic link. This applies to everyone in a company’s reference database.

What Is an Admixture?

An admixture is what you’ve inherited in your DNA from the combination of your ancestors. It refers to the breeding between ethnic groups in a particular region of the world. It’s a scientific term used for classifying your ethnicity percentages.

What Does it Mean to be Part Neanderthal?

Neanderthals were prehistoric humans who interbred with modern humans before they died out around 40,000 years ago. However, a part of them still remains in our DNA. Research suggests that 1-2% of the DNA of those with European, Asian, or Native American ancestry is from Neanderthals.

What Other Types of DNA Test Kits Are Available?

Beyond ancestry, the two most common types of DNA tests include diet and fitness, and health and wellness.

Diet and Fitness

Diet and Fitness DNA tests provide useful insights into the ideal nutrition and exercise regimens based on your genes. For example, LivingDNAfocuses on examining the genes related to:

  • Metabolism
  • Nutrition
  • Fitness potential
  • Skin and hair
  • Behavior
  • And more…

Health and Wellness

Health and wellness DNA tests can tell you your genetic risk and carrier status for certain conditions, as well as your predisposition to physical and behavioral traits.

There are also at-home dna tests – like LetsGetChecked – that offer discreet sexual health tests.

See LetsGetChecked Plans

How Do I Know Which DNA Test Is Right for Me?

Finding the right DNA test kit really depends on your specific needs. If you interested in learning more about your family history, AncestryDNA, also provides access to billions of historical records (with a subscription) to help build your family tree.

If affordability is your priority, you may want to consider MyHeritage. 

Furthermore, some companies specialize in different majority background reference databases.  FamilyTreeDNA, for example, has a map of ancestors for European descendants. Living DNAcan tell you the exact county, e.g. Cornwall or Devon, that a British ancestor lived in generations ago. 

Overall, before you purchase a test from any provider, remember that your needs are as individualized as your DNA. So the goal is to find a vendor that meets those needs.

Start Your Ancestry Journey With Ancestry Today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is DNA Genetic Testing?

We all have a unique genetic code inside of us - DNA. DNA genetic testing allows us to examine this unique code and understand more about ourselves, including where we come from, what medical conditions we might have hiding in the strands of code, and what we can do to be happier and healthier human beings.

How Does DNA Testing Work?

Your DNA is collected either by cheek swab or saliva sample. Once received by the laboratory, technicians examine the sample to look for clues, such as genes determining your Neanderthal percentage, your overall ethnic makeup, and particular genetic conditions or diseases you are at risk for. Many of the top DNA kits like AncestryDNA offer both the opportunity to do ancestry reports and health and wellness.

Where Can I Get a DNA Testing Kit?

The type of DNA test you want will determine the kind of kit you are looking for. In regards to ancestry, we've done a lot of the research and recommend Ancestry  to give you the best results.

How Much Does a DNA Test Kit Cost?

Most DNA test kits are priced between $49 - $99. Keep in mind the following: Some require you to pay for shipping. While most send a pre-paid envelope to send the test back, some require you to pay for postage. Lastly, while the test itself has a fixed price, many ancestry DNA tests charge fees for extra items like family tree builders or relative-finding information.

Keep your eyes open for special offers, available coupons, and discounted packages. Also, remember that not every company offers free shipping, and there could be ongoing subscriptions or hidden fees. So always read the fine print.

How Does an At-Home DNA Test Work?

At-home DNA tests consist of these three steps:

Step #1: When you receive your DNA test kit in the mail, you will need to collect your DNA. DNA collection is done one of two ways: either by cheek swab or saliva sample. The kit will provide all the ‘instruments’ you need to get this done.

Step #2: After you follow the instructions and get a DNA sample, you will need to seal it in provided sterile packaging and mail it back to the company. Most companies will supply you with a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Step #3: Wait the required period of time (anywhere between two and eight weeks, depending on the brand). When your results are ready, you will receive an email notification with a link to a dashboard where you can read your results. Depending on the ancestry DNA test kit you’ve selected, you can see things like regional / ethnic percentage breakdown, maternal and paternal haplogroups, and your Neanderthal percentage. Some kits tie in any genetic conditions you may be predisposed to. For additional fees, you can access family records and build your family tree.

Can I Trust the Results from a DNA Test?

DNA tests work by comparing your DNA to other people around the globe who have taken the same DNA test. The more people who have used that ancestry DNA test kit, the more accurate the results, because there is more information in the database.

Of course, no ancestry DNA test is 100% accurate. An ethnicity estimate is just that, an estimate, and the accuracy of your results depends on a few factors, including:

  • The quality of the DNA sample provided
  • The type of test being performed on your DNA
  • The number of geographical regions covered
  • The size of a company’s reference population

That being said the best Ancestry DNA companies have over 99% accuracy in identifying genetic variants strongly associated with a certain ethnicity or geographical location. 

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