National Geographic Ancestry Test VS The Genealogist

UPDATED Mar. 2024
Table Of Contents+
This website features affiliate links. For purchases made via these links, we earn commissions that allow us to keep producing helpful content. To find out more click here. Close

After making the initial decision to explore your ancestry and genetic origins, you are faced with a multitude of nuances, separating one ancestry DNA testing company from the next. The Genealogist and National Geographic Ancestry Test are both excellent choices for the task at hand, but one will certainly come out on top once you identify your specific needs and expectations. Their services, although high-quality and professional, differ in small but important aspects, even though they seemingly do the same thing. Our comparison will help you spot those differences between The Genealogist and National Geographic Ancestry Test, allowing you to make an optimal and fully personalized choice.

The Genealogist
Genealogy plus Family Tree DNA portfolio
VS
National Geographic Ancestry Test
Next Gen Of Genographic DNA Testing

Highlights

The Genealogist
The Genealogist is a genealogy-centered website operated by Genealogy Supplies (Jersey) Limited and partnered with Family Tree DNA in order to complement its service with ancestry DNA testing.
  • Offers an extensive list of genealogical sources and data sets
  • Family Tree DNA testing portfolio, staff, and processing lab
  • Solid privacy & security policy and worldwide shipping
  • Price: $142.43
  • Shipping:
National Geographic Ancestry Test
Genographic has introduced the next generation of its DNA test. The National Geographic Ancestry Test is vastly superior to its predecessor, offering a much more detailed insight into your DNA ancestry.
  • More than 800,000 participants in over 140 countries
  • 60 reference populations for a complete ancestral layout
  • Neanderthal DNA check and full autosomal, Y, and mt testing
  • Price: $149.95
  • Shipping:Worldwide

Compare Features

The Genealogist
Tests
Sample Collection Type
Genetic Markers Checked
Geographic Regions Covered
Ancestral Makeup Report
Paternal Lineage
Maternal Lineage
Neanderthal Percentage
Native American DNA Coverage
Jewish DNA Coverage
Cousin matching
Database Size
Family Tree Integration
Chromosome Browser
Health Report
Average Result Time
Research Participation
Raw Data Upload
Raw Data Download
Technology
Privacy and Security
National Geographic Ancestry Test
Tests
National Geographic offers one ancestry DNA test - Geno 2.0 Next Generation. The results will provide you with a comprehensive overview of your genetic ancestry, including maternal and paternal haplogroups, Neanderthal DNA percentages, and the migration routes of your ancient genetic relatives.
Sample Collection Type
Cheek Swab
Genetic Markers Checked
750,000
Geographic Regions Covered
60 Worldwide Regions
Ancestral Makeup Report
Paternal Lineage
Maternal Lineage
Neanderthal Percentage
Native American DNA Coverage
Jewish DNA Coverage
Cousin matching
Database Size
More Than 900,000
Family Tree Integration
Chromosome Browser
Health Report
Average Result Time
6-12 Weeks
Research Participation
Raw Data Upload
Raw Data Download
Technology
Illumina Exome
Privacy and Security
National Geographic is a world-famous brand with a reputation to uphold. It features a rather strict privacy & security policy, which means your personal data is perfectly safe 100% of the time. National Geographic will never share, sell or lease your information to third parties.

Compare Ratings

The Genealogist
FINAL RATING
9.1/10
Scope Of DNA Test(s)
Test Processing Times
Privacy & Security
Value For Money
Overall Experience
National Geographic Ancestry Test
FINAL RATING
7.0/10
Scope Of DNA Test(s)
Test Processing Times
Privacy & Security
Value For Money
Overall Experience

Compare User Reviews

The Genealogist
  • Submitted By RLF on 09/21/2018
    I'm an American. I subscribed to the The Genealogist UK based on glowing online reviews like those found here. I'm truly baffled by the praise this website receives. The only resource that was of even marginal pertinence to me was the PCC wills. I was able to glean a few useful bits from those. But, other than that, I was disappointed by their other paltry offerings. For example, they will link to articles in books and journals, but those are already available for free through: Google Books, HathiTrust, and Archive.Org. Even their births, marriages and deaths are free at Familysearch. I was really hoping they would have wills and other local county records that simply can't be found outside of the UK. Another example: I learned through my research that the Hertfordshire Archives have wills that aren't covered by the PCC records or available in printed form or online. This is also true of most other English counties. There is a wealth of county probate information locked away in these records. These are the sort of records I need to see to do adequate research. This is what I was hoping to find at the Genealogist. If they do not offer these there's no point is spending my money here. One final point -- I think that there may be many researchers who, when they see what is offered here, go away with the impression that that is all there is. Nothing could be further from the truth.
  • Submitted By Alex Miller on 12/28/2017
    Tell me if I'm missing something here but isn't family tree dna cheaper like a lot??
  • Submitted By Indiana George on 11/18/2017
    I ordered from the Genealogist website, I get notification my fam. tree dna account is ready, my credit card says something else... What's going on here guys?!
  • Submitted By Jean Patrick on 10/12/2017
    Great service! Took a while to get the final results but that didn't diminish the overall experience for me.
National Geographic Ancestry Test
  • Submitted By Arthur Starr on 04/27/2019
    This company needs major improvement. I have been waiting since February 2019 after I paid and send a saliva sample. I have not received results nor have i been able to access the site. I have spoken to numerous individuals who supposedly represent Helix and each time was promised that the problems would be taken care of. None of this has helped. I am not recognized on the site after resending my information many times. I would avoid this program and warn others to do the same. At this point I am wondering if this is a scam. I subscribe toNational Geographic and trusted that they were involved with this company. I would give them a zero for a rating if it were allowed.
  • Submitted By SZ on 09/03/2018
    I read some negative reviews online, and almost decided against buying the test. Fortunately, I changed my mind and did the test. I waited 10 weeks for my report to be ready and I learned a lot of things about my maternal and paternal ancestry. I was not disappointed and I recommend going with National Geographic if you want to find out more about your ancestors. The test is worth every penny, if you understand what you are getting out of it.
  • Submitted By Tanya on 08/13/2018
    I waited a long time to receive my results. While I was not disappointed with my report, I did expect a bit more from National Geographic.
  • Submitted By Cynthia on 07/30/2018
    I am utterly flabbergasted by this product. It has been a year since I submitted by samples and until now I have yet to receive my results. I wrote several emails and in the beginning the first reason was ‘some delays due to change of labs’ then when I asked again ‘delays due to IT issues of uploading results’ and then when I asked again recently it was met with silence and just simply no reply. I have now asked them for a refund but again no reply. I really recommend that you do not purchase this at all. It is really a very annoying situation and I regret getting this - they basically took the money and gave me nothing. Reading some of the reviews here make it sound like some people actually received results - how? Why did I not receive mine? It makes me so disappointed. Is there a board I can complain to formally? It really is a scam with the Nat Geo name ! If I could give zero I would but this system’s minimum is 1 star

Winner

The Genealogist is a website under the corporate umbrella of Genealogy Supplies (Jersey) Limited dedicated to genealogical research and complemented with ancestry DNA testing. The genetic piece of the puzzle is provided by none other than Family Tree DNA. Read more about this promising partnership in our in-depth review of The Genealogist and its services.

* All the prices on this website are subject to change without notice. While we put a great deal of effort into making sure that all the prices are accurate, one or more products may have outdated prices. Please visit the specific product’s official website for exact prices.
Join our mailing list to receive exclusive updates, giveaways and coupon codes directly to your inbox.