The vast world of DNA testing could lead you to a lot of interesting facts about your life.
And did you know there are numerous choices to pick from? Whether you want to know about your family’s history and ethnicity, there’s sure to discover everything about it. MyHeritage keeps you in check of these aspects. But they’re certainly not the only ones working in this line of business.
Each person has their own intentions to choose different alternatives. Namely: privacy, authentic information, and the possibility of meeting prospective relatives or friends. Believe it or not this may be the very last thing on their bucket lists before they are at peace. Some families even have no problem with relatives who do not have blood ties. Why? They’re family too.
This article will look at MyHeritage’s peers and the ways they help people from every walk of life to find their roots. Let’s go!
Before you continue, you may want to watch this video by Family History Fanatics on YouTube that gives a quick overview. After, you’ll want to read the rest of our article for a more comprehensive review.
MyHeritage Vs. AncestryDNA
Our first competition is Ancestry DNA.
Both companies offer autosomal tests and test kits, which is essential for DNA testing. Tests give an estimate of ethnicity, as well as an analysis of the various lineages across the globe. A difference in comparison to MyHeritage is that the database of AncestryDNA has fourteen million entries. The drawback is their results take longer than MyHeritage. It includes a monthly fee of $99, which provides for benefits from their reports.
Another issue is that you can’t upload your own DNA data. Plus it is not possible to keep your personal data private is not possible too. This can be a sign that you prefer their privacy over anything other considerations. Fortunately, MyHeritage lets you set the DNA given to remain private, so that it will not be given away to unwanted third-party.
As with many companies, they show an option to subscribe. AncestryDNA offers three plans for customers that you can choose from:
- U.S. Discovery – $24.99/month
- World Explorer – $39.99/month
- All Access – $49.99/month
Some of them are easily explained, such as the U.S Discovery tier. The records are provided by families from all fifty states of the U.S. If you don’t live there, you can choose the World Explorer tier as it includes records from every country around the globe. The final level is an expensive plan where you get extra content like the access of Newspaper.com Standard and Fold3.com.
Despite the volume of records could seem amazing, AncestryDNA may not cover specific countries, especially those located in Asia. MyHeritage’s smaller database has an advantage as it is divided into 42 regions. The regions can then be researched to locate specific communities not heard of too often. Think of any tribal society There’s a good chance that a DNA test result may be related to these tribes.
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MyHeritage and. Family Tree DNA
The next platform that we’ll be discussing will be Family Tree DNA.
From the get-go, Family Tree DNA has mtDNA and Y-DNA tests that are not offered by MyHeritage. These tests are specifically designed to identify possible relatives that are on either the father’s or mother’s side exclusively. They do have the standard autosomal test, known as the “Family Finder” for any lineage.
Both platforms are active in their communities, and they place a high value on your personal privacy. So it’s up to you whether you’d like your DNA to be matched by families who are looking for lost relatives. However, Family Tree DNA does not have the same number of regions that are covered as MyHeritage. They have 24 areas that are listed on their web site. Nonetheless, this can be an option if they are unable to meet your requirements.
To offer their services, Family Tree DNA has three kits available. These are:
- Family Ancestry: $59
- Maternal test: $159
- Paternal test Test for paternity: $119
After you’ve gotten the results, you can’t simply record them in an online family tree despite the name. This could be a problem for some people as they want to see how far their family tree goes. Also, it is not possible to obtain any health information regarding your ethnicity. MyHeritage helps with this as you can even view common disorders in 18 carrier status reports. If you’re looking for precise details about the family’s history, search for MyHeritage.
> > Click Here to Try MyHeritage for Free < <
MyHeritage vs 23andMe
The third option on our list is 23andMe.
This platform is the first company to receive approval from the FDA as a risk screening tool for diseases. To complement it to it, you can use it either through their website or mobile app. In it, information about your health and your ancestry is available. You can create your family tree and study subjects like genetic risks as well as the science of genetics, as well as genealogy as a whole.
23andMe offers a variety in privacy options and choices to select from. Based on your personal preferences, you can retract or withdraw your agreement to 23andMe when you change your mind. The saliva samples are collected and results are reported within 3 to 4 weeks.
What 23andMe concentrates on is paternal and maternal, Neanderthal as well as autosomal tests. One of the biggest advantages of this test is that it covers more than 1500 areas across the world. This may not be a favorite for everyone, but if you would like to trace back lesser-known groups, they can do the trick. The results that are precise may be more effective than a general view.
When availing of their services, there are three types of tests to choose from. All tests include customer support and a custom review of your DNA results. You have the option of choosing:
- Basic Ancestry and Traits – $79
- DNA Health Test – $129
- VIP Health and Ancestry – $429
Even if you can obtain enhanced DNA results using 23andMe, it may not be affordable for everyone. For MyHeritage, you have the option of availing the tests through kit or through subscriptions. The annual subscription costs $79 and is the same cost for their basic tests. In terms of the kits, at a slightly higher price of $90, you basically receive the same tests but with more capability. Do note that DNA tests are not cheap; they go through many processes to get the results and identify potential relatives.
MyHeritage vs. FamilySearch
This genealogy service has another method of information access.
First of all, FamilySearch offers its services for no cost. This is due to the company being a non-profit institution. They’re partnered with powerful platforms such as MyHeritage and AncestryDNA. Their online records contain more than 300,000 digital books, even if they’re not correctly indexed.
FamilySearch’s database has family trees for both the public as well as for private use. For family trees that are shared, users can view potential relatives as well as loved ones and the way they’re connected. Private trees will not be visible in a search engine because of privacy concerns.
They do have physical documents like genealogical documents, including vital documents and census records. The only difference is that when setting up the tree of your families, you are unable to download it. Plus, the setup of the tree is a tedious procedure too. Another problem is that they won’t provide any type of DNA testing. But if you do not have the money or resources to track your family tree it is possible to start here and find out what happens.
If you’re planning to conduct a thorough DNA test, you could always visit MyHeritage.
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MyHeritage Vs. Xcode Life
The final platform in our review will be Xcode Life, a platform based in India.
Xcode Life has various reports to avail of. Most of them are health-related, including nutrition, fitness, and of course health. These reports are general and provide results 24 hours a day in PDF format. But they don’t offer any kind of ancestry report. However, they have more than what they don’t have.
They accept raw DNA information which has been obtained from their partners. These include:
- 23andMe
- Family Tree DNA (FTNDA)
- Ancestry DNA
- MyHeritage
The DNA files are used to create their huge health reports. The user is the sole judge on the kind of report they want to get. The company has its own privacy policy however, you must delete the DNA data manually. For any personal information that is to be removed, customers need to send an email to Xcode Life.
Prices for Xcode Life also have bundles to choose from. This is what they have:
- Best Seller Pack – $49: nutrition, fitness, health, allergy, skin reports
- Super Pack – $89: nutrition, fitness, health, allergy skin precision medicine, as well as reports on methylation
- Mega Pack – $99: Includes all 9 individual report packages
The most significant drawback to this system is that you are not able to trace your ethnicity. Although you are able to use your existing DNA for other purposes, it’s only for you personally. You are still able to visit if you want to learn more about your personal DNA, at least.
The Final Verdict
The short version is that MyHeritage is the most suitable choice for any DNA-related requirements.
You can learn which family ethnic lineage you have, and it’s traceable into the family tree. The DNA test is autosomal, which is the industry most commonly used test for any genealogical research. Once you get the results, you have the option of calling those who match your test. This is particularly important for those who wish to visit their loved ones an end-of-life visit.
The kits are also easy to use, and people of any age can use these kits. Results will be revealed within 3-4 weeks, and an email will be sent to you with the results.
For privacy reasons, MyHeritage never sells personal information to third parties. This is to ensure the security of the DNA samples provided to the company, as it is also uploaded in their database. It will supply them when expressly requested by their owner of the DNA.
Although there is no information about any health-related issues in the DNA results, you’ll need to charge a bit for extra details. In the end, it’s the go-to place for all things genealogical.