How to choose a DNA test.
What each kind of test reads, what it costs, and the questions worth asking before you spit in a tube. Eight kinds of test side by side, from $99 to $1,000+, in plain English.
Where should I send it?
The guide arrives in your inbox in a minute or two. No spam, and you can unsubscribe any time.
There is no single best DNA test. There is the one that answers your question.
Most people come to a DNA test with something personal they want to understand. A surprising amount of the answer turns out to be a genetic tendency, and that is good news: part of the answer is often written down, and the rest is usually environment.
What is my MTHFR status, and what vitamins should I take?
Why can't I lose weight when I eat healthy?
Why does a night of drinking cost me two days?
Why can I run on so little sleep, or why do I need so much?
Most tests only answer one question at a time. The guide shows you which test answers yours.
Every kind of test, side by side. And what to ask before you buy.
- Start with your question. Five places most questions land, and the test that fits each.
- The tests at a glance. Ancestry chips to whole genomes: what each reads, what it answers, and what it costs.
- What the price actually buys. A kit, a report, or a person who reads it with you.
- Three that are sold as DNA tests and do not read your DNA.
- Six common ways to overspend, and what to buy instead.
- Ten questions to ask before you buy, on one page you can keep open in a tab.
- Your data after the test: privacy, deletion, and what happens if a company is sold.
- Already tested? How to get more from the results you have.
Start with your question
The tests at a glance
Ten questions to ask
I read DNA results for a living. Here is what I tell my friends.
This guide names no testing companies. Prices are US list prices, checked October 15, 2026, and the sources are listed at the back. It is written so you can choose well wherever you test, including the test you may already have in a drawer.
Jennifer Little-Fleck, CFGP, BcID. Executive Biologist and Certified Functional Genomic Practitioner, with three decades in healthcare sales, research and medical writing. Specializes in connecting mood and behavior genetics to overall health.
Choose the test that answers your question. Before you spend a dollar.
Educational, not medical advice. For questions about a diagnosis or a medication, talk with your physician.