InsiderWhen you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. DNA kits 23andMe and AncestryDNA can help you learn more about yourself and your family roots.
Each service offers different packages that provide information on your genetic traits. AncestryDNA offers family tree insight, while 23andMe provides in-depth health and wellness data. AncestryDNA and 23andMe are two of the most popular DNA testing companies in the world.
Both companies offer DNA kits that reveal information about someone’s ethnic makeup, family history, and genetic traits passed down through their family. While each company uses similar autosomal DNA tests, they do offer a different overall experience. Here’s what to know about the two tests and how the results they offer differ.
23andMe vs. AncestryDNA: The difference is in the detailsWhen deciding between 23andMe and AncestryDNA, the right one for you depends on what you’re looking for. One provides various health-testing capabilities (23andMe), while the other dives deeper into family ancestry (AncestryDNA).
Each kit requires you to spit into a tube and send it back to the lab for analysis, but there are slight differences in how they test, analyze, and handle a sample. Ancestry DNAAncestryDNA only tests autosomal DNA: Autosomal DNA tests allow companies to analyze your DNA sequence and match it with others who have submitted their DNA in the database. This is the test that allows companies to estimate your ancestral and ethnic background, possible DNA matches, and what regions of the world your DNA comes from.
It offers a bigger database: AncestryDNA’s claim of a DNA database of over 20 million members increases the accuracy of its results and should appeal to people who want to use DNA kits to test for genealogy or family matching. Conversely, 23andMe’s database consists of roughly 12 million users. It gives you better insight into recent migration history: This allows users to find out where relatives recently migrated from to fill in their family tree, according to Bryant McAllister, a geneticist and associate professor at the University of Iowa.
23andMe23andMe tests autosomal DNA, mtDNA, and Y-DNA: In addition to autosomal testing, 23andMe offers basic mtDNA testing, which may allow you to trace the ancient migration routes of your maternal ancestors. For biological males, there’s also Y-DNA testing, which looks at the roots of paternal lines. It can analyze deeper origins of your paternal or maternal lines: Due to mtDNA and Y-DNA testing, 23andMe can help track back your maternal or paternal lines back hundreds of thousands of years.
23andMe’s tests “show how similar you are to certain peoples that are representative of other geographic areas,” McAllister says. This means it’s able to highlight specific regions in the world where your ancestors are from. 23andMe offers biomedical data: 23andMe’s Health + Ancestry service provides personalized health information, including whether you carry a genetic variant for a condition or if you are predisposed to certain diseases.
Quick tip: Human beings are roughly 99. 9 percent identical in their genetic makeup, and only 0. 1 percent are responsible for the variants that make each person unique.
DNA test kits look at differences in the remaining 0. 1 percent. It’s important to note that both companies may share your information with third parties to monetize your data, but only if you provide additional consent, such as opting in to participate in research done jointly with a third party.
They’ll also share information if they’re legally required to. 23AndMe is better for health informationLike AncestryDNA, 23andMe offers DNA ancestry testing. But unlike AncestryDNA, 23andMe can also supply information about your genetic health risks, wellness traits, and reports detailing your carrier status for a number of genetic diseases.
23andMe offers three services. Here’s how much each kit costs and what’s included:Ancestry + Traits ($99): This service gives you a breakdown of the heritage of your ancestry. It will also show your Ancestry Timeline, which can show your maternal or paternal lineage.
You also have the option to connect with people who share your DNA. Health + Ancestry ($199): This service includes everything offered with Ancestry + Traits, plus 150-plus personalized reports on health history, including passed down genes and predispositions. 23andMe+ Membership ($199): The membership includes everything from the Health + Ancestry kit, plus access to more personalized health insights.
Of all the DNA companies, 23andMe is the only company currently approved by the FDA to offer health risk tests for certain conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, celiac disease, breast cancer, and more. However, it’s important to remember the tests aren’t complete and can only tell you how your DNA may influence your risk for certain diseases. AncestryDNA makes clear that while tests may link you to a higher risk for a condition, it does not mean you will develop the condition.
23andMe looks at more than 2,000 regions and may offer ancestry insight that’s as specific as a particular county. It takes several weeks for 23andMe to analyze and share its findings. Important: 23andMe’s health test cannot detect or diagnose any diseases.
Instead, it can tell you if you carry some genetic markers associated with certain diseases. AncestryDNA is better for family history informationIf you’re interested in tracking your genealogy, AncestryDNA is better for understanding your family history. As a subsidiary of Ancestry.
com, AncestryDNA has over 20 million users, compared to 23andMe’s 12 million, which increases the accuracy of results. Plus, those who choose AncestryDNA get access to the company’s robust family history resources, including historical person search, a database of family trees, and 30 billion historical records. But it’s worth noting that the only way to access these resources is by paying for the company’s All Access subscription.
AncestryDNA offers three services. Here’s how much each kit costs and what’s included:AncestryDNA ($99): AncestryDNA’s most basic service allows you to trace your family tree and includes just its U. S.
database. AncestryDNA + Family Tree ($100): This service includes everything in the standard, plus access to international records about your ancestry. AncestryDNA Traits + All Access ($199): The all-access package gives you access to thousands of search historical records, plus reports on more than 35 genetic traits.
With its claimed 20 million user profiles, AncestryDNA looks at indicators in your DNA to discover how much of it comes from different regions worldwide. It provides percentages of an ethnicity estimate and highlights specific global locations of your ancestors (sometimes as specific as a city). Both services offer optional family matchingEach company offers DNA-specific family matching to connect users to people they’re related to in their databases.
This is an optional feature, however, and users can opt not to make their information available to others. Both providers also allow you to create a family tree with your matches. McAllister said to consider the kind of information you’ll receive should you agree to see your matches.
“You have the ability to find [a lot] of people you’re related to, and that may be surprising,” he says. Each comes with privacy concerns Privacy is a major factor to consider when choosing a DNA kit. It’s important to understand what data each company might share with third parties, how they keep your information safe from hackers, and how your data might be monetized.
Important: Any person who uses a DNA testing service runs the risk of having their information exposed via a data breach, something that’s happened to multiple DNA testing services in the past. Here’s what to know from each company’s fine print:23andMe encrypts your sensitive information and won’t share data with an employer or insurance company. It also notes that it supports efforts to prevent genetic discrimination and to safeguard people’s genetic privacy.
If you opt-in to DNA matching, you fully control what information is shared with your matches. Opting into company research allows it to monetize your data and share it with third parties. AncestryDNA assures users that their private data is secure, and samples are tested in a secure third-party testing lab.
The company specifies that it stores DNA test results and samples without a name or any other common identifying information. If you opt-in to DNA matching, your matches will be able to see either a list of all regions in your results or a list of regions you have in common. Opting into company research allows it to monetize your data and share it with third parties.
Both allow you to choose to have your DNA sample stored or destroyed after being tested, and each lets you delete your account. You can also elect to remove your identifying information if you allow it to be used in the companies’ research. Which DNA kit should you choose?AncestryDNA and 23andMe each offer interesting insight about your ancestry and genetic makeup, but the one that’s better for you depends on what you’re looking to get out of it.
If you want insight into health data and possible diseases running in your family, opt for one of the tests from 23andMe. For an in-depth look into family ancestry, including family migration history, and access to a larger database, AncestryDNA is the better choice. While Ancestry DNA is better for building family trees (and has a larger database to compare samples to), 23andMe can tell you more about your health predispositions and genetic traits.
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URL: https://www.insider.com/guides/health/ancestrydna-vs-23andme
