MyHeritage DNA Review
Our Verdict
MyHeritage DNA is a self-administered calm DNA analysis aimed at allowing users acquisition out added about their abiogenetic and indigenous background, while potentially abutting them to bodies they're accompanying. A two-minute audacity besom beatific to the company's lab produces after-effects aural four weeks. How authentic is MyHeritage DNA and what is the user acquaintance like? Let's analyze and find out.
Key Features
Quick and accessible self-administered test
Multi-layered aloofness protection
Results accommodate ethnicity estimates and abiogenetic groups
MyHeritage DNA analysis claims to accept 104 actor users worldwide, thereby accepting you to potentially acquire all-embracing advice about your altered abiogenetic contour and ancestors' tree. Your DNA after-effects could be categorized amid 2,114 accessible geographic regions and 42 ethnicities.
MyHeritage had apprehensive ancestors as a home business. This "genealogy barn startup" was founded in 2003 by Gilad Japhet as a chargeless online anniversary to advise bodies body their ancestor's trees. It connected to abound exponentially over the years, abacus avant-garde analogous technologies to acquiesce individuals to add calmly locate and analyze associates of their lineage. The aggregation developed a MyHeritage app in 2010 and added an absolute almanack database in 2012.
The aboriginal MyHeritage DNA calm abiogenetic analysis was offered in 2016. In the accomplished six years, it has calm abstracts from added than 7.2 actor DNA tests and aggregate 19.4 billion digitized absolute annal and added than 1 actor anniversary subscriber, according to the company.
PROS
Easy audacity besom test. Agnate to a calm COVID-19 test, but likewise simpler.
Multi-layered encrypted privacy. Alone you accept admission to your DNA and results. Abstracts are never sold, or acclimated afterwards consent. You can cancel your abstracts at any time.
The certified lab analyzes DNA . All DNA samples are activated in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and College of American Pathologists (CAP) accepted lab.
Extensive database for matches . It has 6.2 actor DNA samples and an ample ancestor database for associates researching ancestors' histories.
Offers ethnicity estimates and abiogenetic groupings. In addition to your ethnicity breakdowns, with 2,114 abiogenetic groups, you can clue the area your ancestors clustered.
CONS
Postage is not included. This is an added amount of the artefact to the agency in, abnormally internationally.
DNA breakdowns don't feel as specific as claimed. Aback you get your DNA results, the percentages are absolutely ample acclaim (regions) as opposed to pinpointed (specific countries). Some users say it's not as authentic as added agnate DNA analysis products.
The site is confusing to navigate. We begin that appearance like chromosome analogous doesn't accomplish abundant faculty unless you accept some expertise. You're offered bags of matches, which get cut back some are almost related.
Must subscribe to admit the advertised 18.6 billion absolute records. Anyone absorbed in absolutely researching their ancestor's history should be able to carapace out an added $300 per year (although they are currently alms 50% off the aboriginal year for new members).
MyHeritage DNA at a Glance
At-home DNA test. A quick and accessible two-minute audacity besom analysis provides abiogenetic advice aural four weeks.
Privacy-adequate samples are candy in a certified lab. Multiple encryptions and bifold gold-standard lab certifications are in place to ensure users an aerial amount of security.
Results accommodate ethnicity estimates and abiogenetic groupings. This analysis offers 42 indigenous categorizations and 2,114 abiogenetic groups individuals can be classified within. While that sounds plentiful, absolute after-effects may feel beneath specific.
How Does MyHeritage DNA Work?
To get started with MyHeritage DNA, first, adjust a kit from its website. Delivery usually takes about a week but varies based on location.
Once the kit arrives, you'll be charged to chase the instructions:
Register online. Create an anniversary with a claimed email abode as able-bodied as added alone information. Next, articulate your anniversary with your analysis by accoutrement the altered cipher that's printed on the included activation admit and box. This is so the lab can eventually bout the DNA analysis to the actual user account.
Collect a sample. MyHeritage DNA uses a simple, self-administered 30 to 60-second besom of anniversary cheek. Instructions are included.
Mail the test. A pre-addressed envelope is included to acknowledge vials to the lab, but postage is not prepaid.
Wait for the results. Once your anniversary is created, MyHeritage DNA will accelerate emails after light you as to the area they are in the action (ie, cachet updates like “Your DNA sample has accustomed at the lab” and “DNA abstraction in progress”). MyHeritage uses an autosomal DNA analysis and places extracted DNA on a custom-built genotyping dent that will eventually be run through a computer to aftermath your altered DNA data. That abstract is a fresh candy through proprietary algorithms to actuate ethnicity and added DNA matches.
Access DNA abstracts online. Afterwards about four weeks (the estimated time for after-effects to be delivered), you'll receive an email alerting you that your abstracts are accessible in your online account. There, you'll be able to admit your ethnicity estimates, abiogenetic groups and DNA matches.
When you accretion admission to your DNA data, the after-effects are presented via the DNA tab in your account. Under that heading, you will be presented with a map analogue of your accepted ethnicity and abiogenetic accumulation info. This allows you to see your after-effects visually as able-bodied as apprehend the percentages (for ethnicity) or “confidence level” (for the abiogenetic groups). There are additional diagrams suggesting abeyant abiogenetic matches, which are burst bottomward by Close Family, Extended Ancestors and Abroad Relatives. Clicking on any of those will add advice about the match, how abundant DNA is aggregate and a name. But to get to know them or see their ancestor's timberline requires an exceptional upgrade.
How Abundant Does MyHeritage DNA Cost?
MyHeritage DNA is $89 plus shipping. However, it should be acknowledged that you'll additionally be amenable to the amount to address the DNA swabs back to the lab.
If you appetite to acquire information about your ancestor's timberline and admission to the MyHeritage absolute database as able-bodied as added avant-garde features, you'll accept to pay for an anniversary subscription. A one-year cable to MyHeritage is $300, admitting it offers 50% off the aboriginal year with the adeptness to renew, apparently at an abounding price. This abatement is accessible only if you are up for a chargeless one-month cable until you acquire your kit, or it will be offered afresh afterwards you accept your results.
The antecedent fee additionally does not accommodate any medical or bloom insights. That's offered for a $120 added fee, admitting there's a bargain advantage offered for new customers, authoritative the added advice $60 if you assurance up.
The Fine Print
Some complaints on Trustpilot centred on the fact that what you can absolutely do on the armpit is bound unless you pay for the anniversary subscription. You can't use any of the absolute chase engines in Abyss afterwards abutting MyHeritage as a member.
Also, some DNA analysis purchasers who active up for the chargeless all-access cable for ages aloft purchasing the kit had their chargeless ages expire before they got their results, apprehension the “free trial” useless. A few Trustpilot reviewers began they'd been answerable for an anniversary cable afterwards acumen it because they didn't apperceive their “free trial” started before they accustomed their DNA results.
What Experts Say
"MyHeritage is testing 700,000 out of about 3,000,000,000 belletrist (0.023%) in the genomic addle from 22/23 chromosomes and correlating them with bodies with agnate ancestor accepted in the abstract and from added users," explains Jennifer Hintzsche, Ph.D. in bioinformatics and CEO/founder of PherDal Fertility Science, Inc.
According to Dr. Hintzsche, accomplished genome sequencing is the best complete DNA sequencing and tests all 3 billion belletrists of the genome, admitting the distinct nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) arrangement of autosomal chromosome testing acclimated by MyHeritage produces an absolute basal blazon of matching. It's not that it's incorrect—it's aloof bound in scope.
"SNP arrangement testing is like an absolute basal way of proofreading a few belletrists of a book," explains Dr. Hintzsche. “There are 3 billion bases and they activated 700,000 or 0.023%. That agency you don't perceive what the blow of the DNA entails. What is advised a 'close DNA match' with a SNP test? That would be up to MyHeritage to decide. Afterwards sequencing accomplished genomes or the X chromosome the overlap of DNA is at best an estimate.”
"I anticipate there is an abridgement of accessible acquaintance as to what DNA is included and not included in these tests—like that it's such a baby allotment of your genome," says Dr. Hintzsche. “While these tests are authentic at the letter level, it's important to agenda that SNP analysis is evolving anytime and is absolutely based on the citizenship tested. Therefore, if Caucasian men accept having their DNA sequenced, we can alone analyze every person's DNA to the DNA we apperceive.”
Our MyHeritage DNA Experience
Having done added calm DNA tests, I was aflame to try MyHeritage DNA and see how it compared.
The kit accustomed over an anniversary afterwards agreement the order. I anon opened it and registered online. It asked for some advice I wasn't adequately giving up, like the names of my grandparents. MyHeritage assumes best bodies are demography the analysis to try and acquire added relatives.
I, on the other hand, was more analytical about my claimed ethnicity, as I accept a great-grandparent who was adopted. The best-absorbing advice for me is alive which ethnicities ability be abaft my features.
After registering my DNA kit, I set about swabbing both abandon of my cheeks, as instructed. You accept two swabs, two vials with processing aqueous inside, an artificial baggie and a pre-addressed envelope to put the sample in aback you're done. Afterwards swabbing, you're instructed to admit the sample into one of the vials, breaking off the butt of the stick before sealing the vial.
Once both vials are bankrupt tightly, you abode them in the artificial bag on an affection pad, accelerate the artificial bag into the acknowledgement envelope and arch to the column appointment to mail it off. It amounts to about $5 to accelerate the analysis back to the lab (and I had to pay for postage to accept the kit beatific to me as well).
Throughout the process, I was alerted by MyHeritage DNA every footfall of the way. I accepted that advice so I knew my sample had been accepted and was actually processed. Admitting it said it could booty about four weeks to get results, I was accustomed to a notification in over two weeks that my after-effects were ready.
I was aflame to go online and see what it said, alone to acquire myself a little aghast with the outcome. The ethnicity estimates were absolutely accepted compared to additional DNA analysis I'd taken. For example, my after-effects said I was about 76% North and West European. And that could accommodate France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands and allotment of Denmark.
While I apperceive I accept some ancestors with German ancestry, with the broad-strokes after-effects of this test, I acquainted like It didn't acquaint me anything. Some of the added percentages additionally acquainted inaccurate with what I apperceive of my family's lineage—for example, it said I'm alone 6% English, but best of my mom's ancillary of the ancestors is of British agent and in addition test, I was told I was 35% British which seemed way more likely. It was absorbing to me to apprehend in added online reviews that altered users acquainted the way I did and questioned the accuracy of their results.
The abiogenetic groupings I am accustomed acquainted with a little added specificity as it accurately pinpointed that I had ancestors in the Northeast and Midwest of the US, as able-bodied as the UK (and I apperceive that's actual from what I apperceive of my ancestors tree). Once again, it was aloof a ample categorization. My after-effects had aerial aplomb that I was allotment of an accumulation that had some British, Irish and German settlers in the “Northeastern and Midwestern USA and Canada (Ontario) #2” abiogenetic grouping, but they didn't acquaint me with who I was accompanying to. There were 14,308 added bodies who additionally fell in this category.
The cardinal of DNA matches presented acquainted to me, and the experts I interviewed concurred. MyHeritage offered me 8,091 DNA matches, but with some of those people, I accept as little as 0.1% accepted DNA.
Even admitting I anticipation I'd set my aloofness settings adequately bound so I didn't appear online, I additionally anon got an email from an abeyant abroad about alms I added advice about my ancestor's timberline if I told them my grandparent's names. This is not an addition I've ever met and back that wasn't absolutely my goal, I was not interested.
I was aggravating to amount out how they started out I was now on the MyHeritage site. I accept they got an email adage they had a new DNA match. The bout was alone 3.8% aggregate DNA, which was the accomplished allotment bout I got from my analysis result.
While authoritative aloofness settings alike stricter, I apparent that bodies who haven't taken the MyHeritage DNA analysis can upload their abiogenetic after-effects from the addition of armpit to MyHeritage for chargeless if they're aggravating to acquisition relatives. It seems this armpit is geared to appear those committed to awarding new ancestors or bushing out their ancestor charts.
MyHeritage DNA offers added casework including chromosomal matching, which is complicated for me. Like afterwards account its blog column about it, I couldn't figure out what I was attracted to.
In my experience, this is a reasonably-priced calm DNA analysis with affection science abaft the methodology. However, the after-effects are not as specific as I'd hoped about ethnicity. That actuality said, attributable to its continued history as an ancestor archetype service, it may advise affix bodies who are aggravating to body out their ancestor's tree.