5 Things You Need To Know Before Buying 23andMe
Learn more about 23andMe results, sample reports, reviews, cost, and how to use your 23andMe test data to get free analysis.
Updated September 8, 2022
Highlights
- What you’ll get from your 23andMe test and how much it’ll cost.
- How accurate is the 23andMe test?
- What you can do with your DNA test data after you’ve gotten your results.
Founded by Anne Wojcicki in 2006, 23andMe is one of the pioneers in the direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry. The company had previously offered a larger variety of genetic traits analysis — including health and disease risks. In 2013, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned 23andMe (and other DNA test companies) from providing that information without approval from the FDA or the involvement of physicians.
Since then, 23andMe has gotten some of its health testing approved by the FDA — including things like carrier status for genetic diseases and genetic risk for cancer, type 2 diabetes, and more. This traits analysis, in addition to 23andMe’s ancestry services, makes it a good option for people interested in learning more about their genetic health risks.
Test results and sample reports
As of September 2022, 23andMe offers three different service tiers:
Tier 1: Ancestry and Traits
- 80+ personalized reports
- Ancestry percentages
- Opt-in DNA relative finder
- 30 traits reports
Tier 2: Health + Ancestry
- 150+ personalized reports
- Ancestry + traits services
- FDA-authorized health reports
- Family health history tree
Tier 3: 23andMe+ Membership
- Everything from Health + Ancestry
- Access to special health reports
- Enhanced ancestry features
Keep in mind, 23andMe uses cutting edge scientific research to continuously expand its database of health information. In fact, they were the first company to gain FDA clearance for certain genetic traits and carrier status reports. Users are also encouraged to participate in online research and give feedback via online surveys to help researchers link their data to various study topics. (NOTE: 23andMe uses its user data to help develop new pharmaceuticals.)
Now, before you make a decision about 23andMe, we recommend you look at some sample reports. Here are a few to check out:
Reviews
23andMe is very transparent about their customer experiences. You can check detailed customer stories and reviews on their website.
- 23andMe customers on Customer Stories
- Review powered by Authentic Review
- What people are saying about 23andMe on Reddit
- Find out more about what people are talking about 23andMe here as well.
One thing you should know about their health report is that recently in 2019 a concern for its BRCA test was published by Invitae, another clinical DNA testing company. The research revealed that “23andMe DTC Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk Test Misses Almost 90 Percent of BRCA Mutation Carriers”. If you are considering purchasing this test to check your cancer risk, you should think twice about it.
Cost
23andMe offers Ancestry and Health reports separately. You can buy an Ancestry + Traits report for $99 or an Ancestry + Health report for $199 which includes the collection of a saliva sample. It is possible to upgrade your plan after purchase with a saliva collection kit because 23andMe stores your genetic data. This means that after you buy a $99 Ancestry report with a DNA test kit, you do not have to pay the full $199 to get the Health report. Users often report they receive a follow-up promotion to upgrade from Ancestry to Ancestry + Health with a discount.
$99 Ancestry report
$199 Health + Ancestry report
$169+$29 23andMe+ Membership
23andMe has recently started its own weight loss program in partnership with an AI-based diet app company called Lark. You can subscribe to Lark’s diet program which is personalized according to your genetic profile on 23andMe. The fee is $19/month.
23andMe is also actively expanding its database for non-European populations, including Asian and African. If you are eligible, you may be able to join 23andMe’s Global Genetics Project and get the test for free! They are currently recruiting individuals with all four grandparents born in the same country from the list of countries below:
Benin / Bhutan / Botswana / Burundi / Chad / Cote d’Ivoire / Fiji / French Guiana / Gabon / Luxembourg / Macau / Madagascar / Mali / Mozambique / Niger / Papua New Guinea / Solomon Islands / Samoa / Tajikistan / Tanzania / Turkmenistan / Uganda / Vanuatu / Zambia
Upload Raw DNA Data from 23andMe
23andMe allows you to download your test result data (after all, that data belongs first and foremost to you). Once you’ve downloaded the data file, you can upload it to other websites for additional analysis. Here are 10 major websites that accept DNA data files from 23andMe.
Know “More” About Your DNA Data
1. Genomelink — FREE
2. Promethease (genetic health risk)
Ancestry Tests
3. Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) — FREE
4. MyHeritage DNA — FREE
5. LivingDNA — FREE
6. GEDmatch — FREE
Nutrition and Fitness
7. Genopalate
8. Athletigen
9. Vintage
10. DNA Fit
As part of Genomelink’s free services, you can get up to 100 traits (personality, intelligence, nutrition, and more), a limited ancestry summary, personalized avatar, and more. Additionally, Genomelink offers over a dozen detailed ancestry and wellness reports, including the popular Global Ancestry, Viking, and Ancient Ancestry reports.
To find out more about each of these services, go to the updated list of uploading websites here.
Originally published at blog.genomelink.io.
