The Best DNA Testing Kits of 2026

We all want to learn more about ourselves, which explains why DNA testing services have become so popular. Not only do these tests share details about our origins, the databases also grow as more users sign up, improving the geographic accuracy of the results and increasing the likelihood of locating long-lost biological relatives.

However, with such personal data—your literal DNA—being sent to these companies, there come privacy concerns and the fear that this information could be misused or sold. When choosing a DNA test, you want the most bang for your buck regarding your heritage and genetic matches, while being assured your DNA is safe.

We evaluated the four most popular DNA test kits on both of these aspects, and recommend AncestryDNA (available at Amazon) as the best choice for people who want detailed test results and the ability to build up their family tree, both via DNA and historical records.

How We Tested DNA Kits

The Tester

I’m Courtney Campbell, the commerce editor here at Reviewed. My focus is on publishing roundups and gift guides featuring the best product recommendations from our writers and editors, which means I have my hand in pretty much every product category from straws to standing desks.

As the child of an adopted father, I felt like there was a huge gap in my knowledge of my heritage, which is why I first became fascinated with at-home DNA tests. Since using AncestryDNA back in 2017, I’ve grown more passionate about understanding the privacy aspects of these publicly-owned companies, as well as the repercussions of getting an unexpected result and match.

The Tests

While there are a ton of DNA test kits (even breed tests for your dog), we narrowed our search down to the four most popular (human) tests, since large user bases increase the likelihood of a match and a more accurate ethnicity reading.

It should be noted that these DNA test companies typically pull from European-descended populations by a large margin (more on this coming up). As a self-declared European-hodgepodge, this works in my favor, but they may not give as detailed results for those with ancestry from elsewhere in the world.

Each test requires the user to not eat or drink for 30 minutes, then either spit into a tube or use a cheek swab for up to a minute to get a saliva sample for DNA testing. I’d already taken AncestryDNA, but I did the others in one sitting, then shipped the tests off in prepaid envelopes to their respective labs. Once the tests came back, we evaluated each one based on timeliness, the detail of its findings, the usability of the company website, and any special features we found to be useful.

While some home DNA test kits include the option for genetic health tests, we did not test out these features for several reasons. First, they present info that predicts possible health conditions or traits, but doesn't guarantee you have them. This can be confusing or even laughable. (You may not, for example, be an endurance athlete despite your genes for high oxygen-burning capacity). They can also be downright scary, if your test indicates certain genetic health risks.

Some of these tests have FDA approval, but the expert advice is to rely on your doctor to order any genetic testing that may be medically necessary. (Ancestry formerly offered AncestryHealth, but discontinued the genetic health screening at the beginning of 2021 as a “strategic decision” to further its research in Family History, according to an Ancestry.com blog post.)

What You Should Know About DNA Test Kits

How Do DNA Test Kits Work?

While DNA test kits use your genetic code to show you where your ancestors theoretically came from, you might wonder how they work. Each test uses its own algorithm to determine your ancestry. But across the board, my results were pretty much the same at the continental level, sparing a few percentage points here and there.

However, since each testing company divides its regions differently, these specific areas will be different. For example, AncestryDNA lists “Germanic Europe” as a region, whereas 23andMe uses “French & German” to describe a similar area.

Now for the nitty-gritty. Each DNA test kit compares your DNA sample to DNA from reference regions around the world. If a sequence of your DNA is a match to a specific population, there’s a high likelihood your ancestors hailed from that region, and it’s assigned to your pedigree.

To get these comparison DNA samples and pinpoint these populations, DNA test companies use data from the Human Genome Diversity Project, Human Origins, and 1000 Genomes Project, as well as their own data collected from users and sample gathering, particularly in the case of indigenous populations.

Who is Served by Mainstream DNA Test Kits?

The ancestry of European descendants can be determined with greater detail than people from other continents (like Africa, Asia, and the Americas). The reason lies in the size of the reference database—i.e., DNA data from Europeans have been collected more widely and for longer. What’s more, many of the initial customers of these DNA testing kit companies were of European origin, further increasing that reference data.

However, the mainstream companies we tested have made strides to include more diversity in their reference panels, where they begin making DNA comparisons and setting their algorithms. And as more consumers from other continental origins submit DNA for analysis, the companies accumulate broader reference data to get more pinpointed results.

A few companies cater to unearthing DNA roots on other continents, such as African Ancestry. We didn't test those for this roundup, as many (like African Ancestry) solely looks for users' genetic connections to one continent (in that case, Africa), and therefore may only paint a partial—if significant—picture of someone's heritage.

How Accurate are DNA Matches as Relatives?

While finding a long-lost cousin could be exciting (or potentially traumatic), unless a match reads as an immediate family member—parent, child, or full sibling—you shouldn’t jump to conclusions. The range of shared DNA could mean any of several familial connections, according to Brianne Kirkpatrick, founder of Watershed DNA and the National Society of Genetic Counselor's ancestry expert.

She explains: “23andMe might report someone as a half-sibling, and that person is actually your first cousin. AncestryDNA groups categories of people [in a wide range], so someone who's an aunt might show up as a first cousin. That can be confusing.”

Even a parent-to-child match might not be 100% accurate if that parent has an identical twin (or triplet). The aunt or uncle could appear as the child’s parent. But while the relationship described by the site might not be reality, the fact that two people are found to be genetically related is.

“If you’re sharing multiple segments of DNA across multiple chromosomes and it adds up to a significant amount, that doesn’t happen by chance,” Kirkpatrick says. Consider also - a relative could have used a pseudonym when sending in their info, causing a name you’ve never seen before to show up as a match.

Should I Worry About Uncovering a Family Secret?

With DNA test kits, there is always the risk of finding something unsettling, whether it’s a loss of identity from unexpected ethnic results, matching with someone you’ve never heard of, or even exposing a family secret. “Anything that upsets your sense of self can lead to [unexpected emotions] and that's a normal human response to something that's shocking or disrupts our personal identity,” Kirkpatrick says.

If you already suspect you may learn something new—say, you know you were adopted, or that one side of your family lost touch—Kirkpatrick recommends seeing a genetic counselor before you share your DNA sample, as a trained professional can help walk you through what tests to take that will match with your goals. A genetic counselor can also be there to help you work through your emotions regarding an unexpected finding and how to approach the situation.

For example, Kirkpatrick does not recommend reaching out immediately, unless you're fairly certain that your efforts will be happily received. It's wise to take time to adjust to the new information. You may even want to speak with other relatives to garner more details, especially if your family has a history of poor communication or other dysfunction.

This could involve months or years of sitting with and working through your thoughts and emotions on the situation. “Be careful of interfering, because your good intentions could end up complicating the connection between the people immediately involved,” she says.

You also don’t have to participate in the matching services of these tests. You may just want to see your ethnicity results without being bombarded with messages from third cousins.

Should I Be Concerned About My DNA Privacy?

One of the main concerns with DNA testing is what could happen with this sensitive personal data once you’ve sent it out into the world. Will these companies sell it? Give it to law enforcement to bolster forensic databases? Could there be a privacy breach that gets your DNA into the “wrong” hands?

Reviewed has previously covered DNA privacy. While all of the testing companies we covered hold themselves to rigorous standards per their privacy statements, there’s no guarantee they won’t be breached.

The most well-known DNA data breach happened in 2019 with DNA-testing firm Veritas Genetics, so other DNA companies could be targets for hacks in the future. “Any data repository with rich personal data in it will be a target for cybercriminals,” cybersecurity expert Tony Anscombe, Chief Security Evangelist at internet security company ESET, previously told Reviewed.

When you sign up for an account with any of the DNA testing companies we reviewed, all ask if you want to permit the company to use your DNA for scientific research. This is completely optional, and you can receive your results about ethnicity regardless. However, these companies may share some anonymized information with “service providers” or marketing partners to pinpoint advertisements based on your interests to further market to you.

It’s also important to note that if these companies are acquired, your DNA information will be accessible to the new parent company, including any health data from your DNA. (This happened when venture capitalist firm Blackstone acquired Ancestry at the end of 2020.

Though the company claims it doesn’t have access to Ancestry users’ DNA or family tree data, that could always change). So even if you’re comfortable with sharing your DNA with a testing company, be aware that it could end up in the hands of others at a later date.

The other main concern is whether or not law enforcement would have access to your DNA to solve cases. While you may be a law-abiding citizen, if the DNA left at a crime scene is a relative, your DNA would pop up as a match and could help police solve a case.

All of the DNA companies we tested state in their privacy policies that they push back on law enforcement requests whenever possible, and also release annual “transparency reports” showing how many requests they get, which they most often deflect. But in the cases of some subpoenas, warrants, and other court-ordered requests, the companies may have to comply.

Before taking an at-home DNA test, you should read the fine print of each privacy statement. Please note: No matter what the company policy says, when you sign up, you’re giving a huge chunk of valuable personal data to a for-profit entity. It’s never outside the realm of possibility that someone (whether the company or a hacker) might exploit that data for maximum profit. Here are the links to the privacy policies for the four DNA tests we tried:

• AncestryDNA Privacy Statement
• 23andMe Privacy Policy
• FamilyTreeDNA Privacy Statement
• MyHeritage Privacy Statement

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