iGENEA VS 23andMe
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Contrary to popular belief, all ancestry DNA testing companies are not the same. Even the best of them put stronger accents on different areas of service. iGENEA and 23andMe are among the top-ranked ancestry DNA testing providers on the market, but one will always be a better choice, depending on your particular needs. You should primarily identify the most important thing you'd like to "take away" from the experience of ancestry exploration and our comparative outline will take care of the rest. Take a look at some key differences between iGENEA and 23andMe and the best course of action will be more than clear.
Highlights
iGENEA is a Swiss DNA testing company launched in 2006. It was born out of its founder's aspirations to unlock her Polish/Jewish origins by using historical and genetic scientific breakthroughs.
- Usage of Family Tree DNA testing facility and user database
- 3 DNA testing solutions with highly detailed and accurate results
- Free consultations with experts and competent user support
- Price: $213.99
- Shipping:Unknown
23andMe is one of the most popular direct-to-customer DNA testing services that provides users with extremely accurate health and ancestry screening options performed in top-of-the-line labs.
- 50+ ancestry estimates down to the 0.1% with 1,500+ regions
- 80+ health reports, FDA-cleared testing kit, raw data download
- CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited processing laboratories
- Price: $99.00
- Shipping:Worldwide (Not Available In All Countries)
Compare Features
Tests
iGENEA offers the following ancestry DNA testing solutions:
- iGENEA Basic
- iGENEA Premium
- iGENEA Expert
Depending on your chosen test, iGeneal will provide you with knowledge about your ancient genetic ancestry, a variety of geographic maps indicating relevant places for your genetic signature, and exhaustive information about your direct maternal and paternal lineages.
Sample Collection Type
Cheek Swab
Genetic Markers Checked
500,000; 710,000
Geographic Regions Covered
Unknown
Ancestral Makeup Report
Paternal Lineage
Maternal Lineage
Neanderthal Percentage
Native American DNA Coverage
Jewish DNA Coverage
Cousin matching
Database Size
500,000
Family Tree Integration
Chromosome Browser
Health Report
Average Result Time
6-8 Weeks
Research Participation
Raw Data Upload
Raw Data Download
Technology
Affymetrix
Privacy and Security
With iGenea, you don't have to worry about your privacy and the security of your personal information or test results. The company adheres to Swiss law on data protection and the Federal Act on Data Protection when it comes to the collection and usage of your personal data.
Tests
23andMe offers the following ancestry DNA testing solutions:
- Ancestry Service
- Health + Ancestry Service
With Ancestry Service, you receive an overview of your ethnic percentages, ancestry timeline, haplogroups, and Neanderthal DNA percentage in your final report. If you opt for the second option, your final report will also include health-related results.
Sample Collection Type
Saliva
Genetic Markers Checked
570,000+
Geographic Regions Covered
150 Worldwide Regions
Ancestral Makeup Report
Paternal Lineage
Maternal Lineage
Neanderthal Percentage
Native American DNA Coverage
Jewish DNA Coverage
Cousin matching
Database Size
2,000,000
Family Tree Integration
Chromosome Browser
Health Report
Average Result Time
6-8 Weeks
Research Participation
Raw Data Upload
Raw Data Download
Technology
Illumina OmniExpress
Privacy and Security
23andMe stores your personal info separately from your genetic material for complete anonymity. The company will never share or sell your personal or genetic info without your explicit consent. It will use your data for research purposes, however, as aggregated data cannot be used to positively identify you as an individual. To keep your connection with its website safe, 23andMe uses SSL technology and follows the latest security standards in the industry.
Compare Ratings
Scope Of DNA Test(s)
Test Processing Times
Privacy & Security
Value For Money
Overall Experience
Scope Of DNA Test(s)
Test Processing Times
Privacy & Security
Value For Money
Overall Experience
Compare User Reviews
- Submitted By Paul Anderson on 08/22/2017I definitely discovered a lot about my jewish ancestors but the test was so damn expensive.
- Submitted By Josh O'Neal on 07/13/2017The whole procedure was pretty quick and I even got the hard copy of the results.
- Submitted By Kim Reeves on 06/05/2017The site is just a mess I couldn't find anything I wanted to know so I had to call the support guys to help me out.
- Submitted By Thomas Wilkinson on 04/21/2017Excellent tests! It's all I imagined it would be and I'm thinking about starting a Wilkinson surname project as well.
- Submitted By Annette Glendenning on 10/12/2019I first found this through the one and only Dr. Ben Lynch who specializes and is the pioneer in the study of our Methylation system. I got a wealth of information regarding my MTRR mutation and explains why my B12 was always so incredibly low. Also, I found a mutation in which 60% of Vitamin A can not be absorbed which answers the question of "why my eyes are deteriorating" and my skin doesn't heal very well. Lastly, I received an email letting me know that they added a new gene test called the APOE mutation which detects and rates Alzheimer's disease and its alleles. My mother passed from Alzheimer's and it's still alarming to me that I have APOE 4 and APOE3 alleles. YIKES! Time to be super Proactive in my diet and lifestyle. 23andme also couples with Ben Lynch with Stratagene, an amazingly easy to read break down of all your problematic SNPs. Thank you so very much for everything, I got everything I needed to know and more.
- Submitted By Sir Francis Baron Von Ross. on 03/19/2019After my stepfather passed away as he was the only father who I knew growing up I did the 23andme DNA to see if I had family or cousins on my real fathers side. I was shocked to learn I had so many people related to me. Everyone was so excited at first but then that faded very fast. Then I found 1st cousins and was great but then they did not bother to talk with me and realized I was not welcomed on my real fathers side. I am all by myself now since no one cares about me. It's a shame that people just don't care if they hurt a person. All I can say is you may be hurt by others but doing the 23andme DNA sure was great.
- Submitted By Walt Jenner on 01/16/2019I did the 23andme test and I found it simple to perform and easy to read the results. After submitting my saliva, it took about 4 weeks to process. I did this around the Christmas holiday, so they were perhaps running a little slower than they would during the summer. I didn't expect to see any "family secrets" revealed, so that wasn't a reason for me to take the test. However, my results DID reveal a family secret: my Aunt is my half-aunt. Whoops! So even if you don't expect to see family secrets, remember that you might reveal one. I wish the 23andme web site would pool "matching relatives" into groups so I can more easily determine which side of the family all the relative matches are from. Sure, it'd be easy if I had my entire family take the test, but many are deceased. And with a surprise half-aunt in the picture, I don't want to ask anyone.
- Submitted By Anna Bennett on 09/02/2018My daughter bought me this test and I was amazed (to say the least) to learn of my origins! It looks like I'm mostly from Europe. Fascinating!
Winner
23andMe is an impressive DNA testing provider featuring a staggering user count, paired with cutting-edge tools for chromosome browsing, biogeographical ancestry analysis, and health-related results. Read all about this exceptional service in our detailed 23andMe review.