Ancestry DNA Review (2024)

Key Features

• Has 25+ million users as of 2024
• Trace your ancestry to 3,100+ regions
• Access to 60 billion historical records
• Download and delete your raw DNA
• Get results in six to eight weeks

Ancestry.com isn’t just a DNA testing company. It’s an online platform that offers a range of genealogy services. In this review, we’ll discover why it’s the best place to learn about your ancestors and family history. 

Our team will examine the reports, features, and resources included with the kit and Ancestry’s subscriptions. We’ll also investigate its accuracy, privacy measures, pricing, and what others think of it.

What Is AncestryDNA?

Ancestry is a genetic testing service that offers at-home kits and analyzes your DNA to provide insights into your ethnicity, living relatives, and traits. 

The company also provides users access to one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive databases of historical and genealogical information.

Founded in 2017 by Paul Brent Allen and Dan Taggart, Ancestry used to publish genealogical reference materials like CDs and magazines.

Pros & Cons of AncestryDNA

Here are Ancestry’s advantages and disadvantages:

AncestryDNA Pros

• Matches with potential family and identifies ethnic origins
• Reports on 75+ traits – including genes that affect health
• Simplifies navigation and interpretation of DNA results
• Continuously updates results with new data
• Helpful resources and support for contacting matches

AncestryDNA Cons

• Historical records require an additional subscription
• It doesn’t test for genetic health risks like 23andMe

What Customers Say About AncestryDNA

Ancestry has a rating of 3.5 out of 5⭐ on Trustpilot from over 28,700+ people who have used their service. Below is a summary of their reviews:

Positive Feedback

Many customers appreciate its detailed ethnicity estimates, ability to connect with potential relatives, interactive family tree builder, helpful ancestry hints, and integration with historical records. It also has a user-friendly platform and a wealth of educational resources.

Negative Feedback

Users often complain about its membership plans, which can be expensive and frustrating once your subscription expires. Some are also overwhelmed by the amount of information available, while others aren’t convinced by the accuracy of ethnicity estimates for smaller and less-studied regions.

Ancestry Reports From AncestryDNA

Ancestry offers reports on your ancestral origins, genetic matches, and “DNA by parent,” depending on what’s included with your kit.

DNA Matches

Ancestry helps you connect to potential relatives by finding people who share your DNA. It can also tell how you might be related to each other.

Here are some of the relatives you might find on Ancestry:

• A child or a parent
• A sibling or identical twin
• An aunt or uncle
• A niece or nephew
• A grandparent or grandchild
• First, second, third, and fourth cousins
• Fifth, sixth, and eighth cousins

With this feature, you can discover half and full relatives, including close family with up to 4 degrees of separation, distant relatives with up to 9 degrees of separation, and cousins who are once, twice, or thrice removed.

Ancestral Origins

The company uses your unique genetic makeup to identify places where your ancestors likely came from (origins) and where they settled (journeys).

Ancestral Regions

The report traces the origins of your ancestors from over 1,000 years ago to 167 different regions around the world, including:

• Europe (87 regions)
• Asia (36 regions)
• Africa (23 regions)
• America (14 regions)
• Oceania (7 regions)

You’ll also get an Ethnicity Estimate for every ancestral region on your report, which shows how much DNA you share with people in these areas.

Regions with higher percentages suggest that a significant portion of your ancestry can be traced to them. However, those with lower percentages are places where fewer ancestors likely originate from based on your DNA.

Ancestral Journeys

It traces the origins of recent ancestors from the past 300 years to nearly 3,100 locations, including towns and counties from these places:

• America (1,741 journeys)
• Europe (1,195 journeys)
• Asia (126 journeys)
• Oceania (32 journeys)
• Africa (9 journeys)

In addition to narrowing down your ancestral origins to specific locations, this report provides a more intimate look into your family history. 

It shows you how they might have migrated around the world, the historical events they lived through, and their daily life.

DNA By Parent

If you subscribe to Ancestry’s membership plans, you will also receive reports that provide additional insights into your ancestry, such as:

• Which side of the family your DNA relatives are from
• Whether an ancestor is from your mother’s or father’s side
• Your maternal and paternal origins and journeys

Trait Reports

Ancestry can also give you insights on 76 genetic traits if you upgrade your kit or have an active membership. These reports are classified into:

• Personality – includes 13 traits that influence who you are (e.g., if you’re an introvert or extrovert, risk-taking behavior, or pet preferences)
• Nutrients – covers 6 nutrients and how your body utilizes them (e.g., omega-3 fatty acid and vitamins A, B12, C, D, and E)
• Fitness – focuses on 30 traits that impact physical performance (e.g., hand-eye coordination, heart rate recovery, and muscle fatigue)
• Sensory – includes 11 traits related to your sense perception (e.g., caffeine intake, tolerance to dairy or spicy foods, and sensitivity to tastes)
• Appearance – highlights 16 traits that affect your looks (e.g., hair and eye color, skin pigmentation, cleft chin, and finger length)

Genealogical Research on AncestryDNA

Ancestry.com gives access to over 60 billion historical records and genealogical data, making it a great platform for ancestry research. The type of information you’ll have access to depends on your membership.

• US Records – discover ancestors from the US, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. It includes birth, marriage, death, census records, and more.
• International Records – access birth, marriage, and death records of ancestors from over 80 countries worldwide.
• Newspapers.com™ Publisher Extra –  a subscription that lets you search headline news, obituaries, social events, and other stories.
• Fold3® Subscription – discover ancestors who served through global military records, such as those from WWII and the US Civil War.
• Special Records – includes a curated collection of records on Jewish, Native American, and African American heritage.

Other AncestryDNA Features

Ancestry.com also has other tools and features that will help you build a comprehensive picture of your family history, such as:

• Family tree building – includes guided tools and advanced search features so you can create and expand your tree
• Family tree sharing – invite family members to view or edit your tree or find out who they’ve added to their own trees
• Ancestry hints – receive automated clues to help discover new ancestors and stories, which can help speed up your research
• Community and collaboration – connect with other Ancestry members and share family trees for assistance and valuable insights
• DNA traits comparison – available with AncestryDNA Traits, it allows you to compare your genetic traits with other members
• Photo features – organize and enhance family photos through tagging, colorization, sharpening, and scanning tools
• Audio features – upload and store recorded audio to enrich your family history with stories, voice memos, and other personal notes

How Accurate Is AncestryDNA?

Ancestry has an accuracy rate of 99% when reading your DNA. This means it can accurately identify which genetic markers you have.

The accuracy of each report may vary based on different factors, although the DNA testing company does take the following measures to ensure it:

• Uses a geographically diverse reference panel
• Predicts ethnicity estimates based on the likely range
• Filters false positive matches with algorithms
• Constantly updates its science and data

Ancestry’s DNA matches are “highly accurate” for close relationships until 4th cousins but can be less reliable when identifying distant relatives.

Is AncestryDNA Safe?

Yes. You can trust Ancestry with your data since it employs industry-grade security practices to prioritize your safety. These include:

• Your data isn’t shared with third parties without consent
• A legal process is required for law enforcement access
• You can delete your account and your test results
• Option to destroy your physical saliva sample by request
• Stores your results and samples without identifiable data
• Encrypts DNA data and other personal information
• Choose whether your DNA data can be used for research
• DNA data access is limited to authorized personnel
• Features two-factor authentication for account security
• Giving you the option to download your DNA data anytime

How Much Does AncestryDNA Cost?

The basic AncestryDNA Kit costs $39 and includes reports on your DNA Matches and Ancestral Origins. But if you want extra reports on your traits, you can purchase the AncestryDNA + Traits Kit for $49. 

AncestryDNA Bundle Offers

New customers can save more with the following packages:

• AncestryDNA + World Membership – $40
• AncestryDNA + All Access Membership – $49

These bundles include Ancestry’s DNA testing kit and a three-month subscription to your chosen membership, which provides access to records and additional reports on your genetic traits and DNA by parents.

Cost of Ancestry Membership

Ancestry.com offers memberships that can provide additional reports (if you bought the kit before) and access to records you can use for research.

Features	US Discovery Membership	World Membership	All Access Membership
Monthly Subscription	$19.99/mo	$34.99/mo	$54.99/mo
Six-month Subscription	$16.50/mo	$24.83/mo	$39.83/mo
Special Records Access	Yes	Yes	Yes
US Records Access	Yes	Yes	Yes
International Records Access	No	Yes	Yes
Military Records Access (Fold3®)	No	No	Yes
Newspaper Records (Newspapers.com™)	No	No	Yes

Is AncestryDNA Worth It?

Ancestry.com is the best place to start if you’ve never taken a DNA test and want to discover relatives or focus on exploring your ethnicity. Even without the kit, you can access resources for ancestry research with a subscription.

But this isn’t a good option if you want to know more about genes that affect your health. You’ll be better off with companies that offer wellness reports, such as 23andMe and Genomelink.