How Much Is A DNA Test?

A DNA test can be an investment. Depending on which company you choose, it may cost you a good amount of money. Read on to find out how much is a DNA test, and what are your possibilities when it comes to learning more about your genetics.

What is a DNA test?

Before discussing how much is a DNA test, let’s first review what it is and what it can offer you.

DNA tests will analyze your genes to look for changes or differences in your genetic code. From these variations, you can find out a lot about both your health and your ancestry.

One way that a DNA test can help you is by telling you more about your ethnicity and helping you find DNA relatives. A more practical application of DNA testing is to give actionable insights that can help you improve your health based on your genes.

After you figure out what your expectations are when it comes to genetic testing, you can research to find out how much is a DNA test from specific companies that can address your needs.

How can you get a DNA test?

A few years back, it wasn’t as easy to get your DNA tested. Now, you can easily buy genetic tests from websites such as Amazon or even at your local drugstore. Plus, many providers allow you to purchase directly and securely from their website.

If you’re looking for DNA tests as a tool to diagnose an illness or condition, however, you’ll probably need to go through your doctor. In some cases, these tests are even covered by insurance, so you won’t have to worry much about the DNA test cost.

How much does a DNA test cost?

How much DNA testing costs is not a question that’s easily answered. Prices can vary widely depending on what its intended purpose is. For example, if you want a diagnostic test for rare diseases, it can cost you thousands of dollars if not covered by insurance.

Direct-to-consumer tests for ancestry and wellness are usually more affordable, but prices can still vary depending on which test you choose – A SNP analysis is much more affordable than whole genome sequencing (WGS).

SNP chip tests are what most direct-to-consumer DNA testing companies offer you. This test looks only at variations in your DNA that have been researched and have a known effect on your body. By targeting these specific locations in your DNA, these companies can give you insights into which variants you possess in a cost-effective way.

How much is a DNA test from SelfDecode?

SelfDecode is a DNA analysis service that provides genetic predisposition scores and personalized recommendations based on your genetic results.

If you already had your DNA tested, you can get started with SelfDecode for free.

Users who want full access to the platform can build their own health plan with SelfDecode. The annual subscription costs $99 per year, and you can cancel at any time.

Step 1 – Subscribe to SelfDecode ($99/year): Subscribe to the Health Insights Membership from SelfDecode to gain access to:

1,000 health & trait reports
Comprehensive diet, nutrition & fitness reports
Lab Analyzer, tracker & recommendations
Personalized health recommendations
Health scores
SNP & gene explorer
Custom health regimen tool
Lifestyle analyzer

Step 2 – Analyze your DNA: Upload your DNA file for $199 or order a SelfDecode DNA kit for $298. You’ll have full ownership of your DNA data and can download or delete it at any time.

Step 3 – Choose your add-ons:

1:1 Consult & Medical Health Reports ($199): Includes a 30-minute 1:1 consultation with a qualified SelfDecode DNA health coach to review your disease predisposition reports.
Ancestry DNA reports ($79): Learn more about your ancestors and heritage with a complete ancestry composition breakdown and mitochondrial ancestry reports.

Please visit selfdecode.com for the most up-to-date information.

How much is a DNA test from 23andMe?

23andMe offers you four options for a DNA test:

Ancestry Service: $119
Health & Ancestry Service: $229
23andMe+ Premium: $298
23andMe+ Total Health: $99/mo (Billed as one payment of $1,188/yr.)

For more information on this company, read our comprehensive 23andMe review.

How much is a DNA test from AncestryDNA?

AncestryDNA offers the following for DNA tests:

AncestryDNA: $99
AncestryDNA + World Explorer Membership: $100
AncestryDNA + All Access Membership: $199

If you choose to get a DNA test from this company, you’ll receive extensive information on your ancestry – they have a vast database of historical records and over 15 million DNA users for you to possibly match with.

Unfortunately, in January 2021, Ancestry announced the discontinuation of AncestryHealth. So, if you’re looking for insights into your overall well-being, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Check out our Ancestry review to learn more about the company.

Whole genome sequencing

While a SNP chip test will give you a look into parts of your DNA that are known to have an impact on your body, WGS offers you a complete picture of your genome.

This way, WGS can be used to identify both known and unknown variants. How useful that information is, however, is still debatable. Although it has come a long way already, the cost of WGS can be upwards of $1,000, which is on average 10 times more expensive than a SNP analysis.

Considering that most of our genes are still a mystery to scientists, you won’t get much more than what’s available with a SNP chip test.

Is whole genome sequencing worth it?

Not yet.

If you want to get your whole genome sequenced, you still have to pay a premium price for it. A standard SNP chip test can analyze up to a million SNPs generally. Plus, by employing a technique known as genetic imputation, you can infer more genetic variants than what’s actually sequenced (like SelfDecode does), but for a fraction of the price.

Currently, only so many SNPs have been studied by scientists, so only a small portion of your WGS result will provide you with any meaningful information. As genetic research moves forward, WGS will inevitably become more useful, but at this time, you’re getting very little for the considerable extra cost of WGS.

If you still want more information but don’t want to pay thousands of dollars for WGS, SelfDecode uses AI and machine learning to accurately analyze up to 83 million genetic variants to give you the most accurate results. The reports also come with personalized recommendations based on your DNA so you can learn how to counteract the negative effects of your genes.

Takeaway

The good news about taking a DNA test is that you’ll only have to do it once, granted that you have access to your DNA data afterward. Before purchasing a DNA test, however, it might be prudent to research prices and compare what each company has to offer.

Figuring out how much a DNA test is also requires you to decide how much you’re willing to pay. If you’re willing to go all out and get your genome fully sequenced, it might cost you over $1,000.

For a SNP chip test that can give you actionable insights based on researched genes, it can be a lot more accessible. A DNA analysis from SelfDecode starts at $298 and includes over 1,000 DNA health & trait reports, personalized health recommendations, lab tracker and analyzer, and other features.

Whether your focus is on ancestry or health, many companies out there may be able to help you achieve your goals. SelfDecode uses predictive algorithms to analyze around 83 million genetic variants (up to 1 million+ per DNA report), giving you the most accurate health & ancestry data based on your genetics.

If you already had your DNA tested, you can upload your DNA for free to get started.

What is a DNA test?

How can you get a DNA test?