Researching your family tree is exhaustive. Still, unless you tin claim direct lineage to the elite, you're probably going to run into trouble around the 16th century. One way around this is becoming increasingly pop: Dna testing.

Put simply, it gives you a improve idea of where your family line originated. Deoxyribonucleic acid testing tin besides requite you answers to questions yous haven't even asked yet.

If y'all're looking for a Dna testing service to trace your indigenous origin, you've probably considered 23andMe and AncestryDNA. But which service is right for you lot?

Why Apply 23andMe or AncestryDNA?

You desire to know more nearly your heritage. Mayhap you've been looking into researching your family tree, or y'all simply want to know where a family trait originated.

Either style, a Dna testing service can aid and 23andMe and AncestryDNA are the market place-leading options.

The procedure is remarkably simple. Y'all choose a service (hopefully based on the results of our comparison below) and pay for the testing pack. This is shipped out to you; all yous demand to practice is sign the relevant documents and provide a sample.

Which DNA testing service should you use - ancestrydna or 23andme

Deoxyribonucleic acid is sent to the testing service in a test tube. Your Dna is present in your saliva, so all yous need to exercise is spit into the tube, place it in the envelope, and post it!

When the test is complete, you lot'll be informed by mail, around 2 months later. 23andMe and AncestryDNA both compare results with a pool of existing Dna samples, enabling you to establish your beginnings.

For instance, many white North Americans are likely to accept Northern Europe as the bulk of their DNA. Still, small portions of north African or Eye Eastern Dna may also be present. This represents thousands of years of human being exploration and diaspora across the world.

While standard family tree research typically but stretches back 500 years (records permitting), DNA testing can potentially take you back to the beginning.

How Many Tests Exercise 23andMe and AncestryDNA Offering?

Each of the services we're looking at offering different Dna testing.

AncestryDNA will provide autosomal testing, specifically looking at the Deoxyribonucleic acid sample's ethnicity.

23andMe, meanwhile, will test your DNA for autosomal, broad Y-Dna (paternal DNA), and wide mtDNA (mitochondrial Dna from the mother). At that place is also an optional upgrade to health testing (run into below).

Winner: 23andMe offers a greater range of DNA testing, although the results may not exist what genealogy researchers are looking for.

23andMe vs. AncestryDNA: How Much Do They Toll?

Having your Dna sample tested isn't cheap. But which of the two services we're looking at offers the best value?

Well, what you lot become from your chosen DNA service it depends on what you're hoping to find out. Fortunately, standard Deoxyribonucleic acid testing from both 23andMe and AncestryDNA is just $99 per person.

23andme health DNA testing

Yet, every bit noted earlier, 23andMe also offers an optional Wellness + Ancestry testing service for $199.

Winner: It's conspicuously a draw for basic ethnicity DNA tests.

23andMe vs. AncestryDNA: Which Is Well-nigh Accurate?

If y'all're paying for Dna testing, y'all want it to be accurate. So, which of these two Deoxyribonucleic acid testing services is going to assistance yous uncover your subconscious ethnic background?

AncestryDNA claims to be more than comprehensive, using autosomal DNA testing that covers maternal and paternal branches. Information technology too references the entire genome, rather than single tests, is gender neutral, and can fill up in recent holes in your family unit tree. AncestryDNA also has a more diverse database.

23andMe, meanwhile, tin can monitor common US and Canadian migrant populations, also as some Asian and Oceanic branches. Information technology is less proficient at African and Slavic testing. The Y-Dna and mtDNA testing has a wider focus than autosomal tests, giving you lot a flick of your ancestors 10,000-50,000 years agone.

Winner: AncestryDNA

23andMe vs. AncestryDNA: Security and Privacy

It'south vital that your called DNA testing service treats the results of your data with respect and privacy. We don't want to live in a globe where someone'south Dna is causing them to pay college insurance premiums, or assuasive hackers to blackmail them.

And then, will AncestryDNA and 23andMe look after your Deoxyribonucleic acid and personal data?

AncestryDNA provides a detailed privacy argument noting that it "use[s] industry standard security practices to store your DNA sample, your DNA test results, and other personal data." Additionally, AncestryDNA "practise non share with 3rd parties your name or other common identifying information linked to your genetic data, except as legally required or with your explicit consent."

Withal, your data will remain available to Beginnings to use for other purposes, including expanding its pool of DNA.

DNA testing reveals your ethnicity

23andMe's privacy policy is far more detailed. It notes "Everyone deserves a secure, individual place to explore and understand their genetics. At 23andMe, nosotros put yous in control of deciding what information you want to learn and what data you desire to share."

To this stop, 23andMe provides a detailed five-footstep explanation of fundamental ways it ensures your privacy. This covers giving yous command over your data, explaining how data is stored, its policy on third party information, security measures in place to protect your information, and how the use of your data in research is purely voluntary.

Winner: 23andMe has a far more than detailed policy than AncestryDNA, offering wider controls over your DNA data.

However, the future of commercial Deoxyribonucleic acid testing may upshot in data being made more widely bachelor. As such, it is worth keeping an eye on the service you apply in order to opt-out of any future sharing of your Deoxyribonucleic acid. For more on this, see our feature on the safety of online Dna testing services.

Family unit Matching With 23andMe and AncestryDNA

One of the benefits of commercial DNA testing is that not only do yous detect data about your heritage, you can detect people who share information technology with you.

DNA testing services online

Both 23andMe and AncestryDNA offering a family unit matching service. This essentially matches your sample up with other customers with shut matches, thereby highlighting potentially unknown relatives.

The results of this may exist surprising, or it might unearth some long-forgotten family skeletons, so tread carefully! Equally noted, both sites offer family unit matching, although AncestryDNA does a far amend job than 23andMe's limited service.

Winner: AncestryDNA

Which Dna Testing Service Is Best?

Nosotros've seen how both services offering affordable, feature-packed Deoxyribonucleic acid testing, although 23andMe tin can upgrade you to medical testing as well. Meanwhile, a larger puddle of samples ways that AncestryDNA is more likely to deliver accurate results.

23andMe has superior privacy standards and controls in place, however. But in the stop, in that location is piddling to choose between the two services.

Overall, we recall that if you're sure of your recent heritage, and you're based in North America, 23andMe is more probable to deliver good results. Of grade, you can also pay extra for some all-important health screening, also. For anybody else in the world, wherever your heritage may hail from, choose AncestryDNA.

Need more than aid tracing your family tree? Utilize these genealogy websites to trace your ancestors.

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