Best ancestry DNA tests for exploring your family history, tried and tested

I found Ancestry to be a fantastic option for anyone interested in family matching, and the process couldn’t be easier – all it takes is a saliva sample. The accompanying website is sleek, featuring interactive visuals and vibrant diagrams that made exploring my ethnicity estimate simple and engaging. While my Irish and English heritage remained fairly consistent across the DNA kits I tried, Ancestry showed a more varied Scandinavian percentage, which was intriguing.

What really stood out to me was how focused Ancestry is on connection. Beyond genetic traits and ethnicity estimates, the platform can link you with distant relatives — provided they’re also in the system. I also appreciated the highly customizable account settings, which gave me control over how public or private I wanted my profile to be.

One of the most impressive features is Ancestry’s family tree builder, which makes great use of its extensive database of public records. Thanks to this tool – and some helpful suggestions from Ancestry – I was able to trace my Irish roots back to my great-great-grandparents in the mid-1800s, uncovering never-before-seen photographs and public records along the way. It was a fascinating journey that left me feeling more connected to my heritage.

Ancestry also offers a remarkable selection of genetic trait insights – 65 in total. Some of the most interesting ones include coriander aversion, risk-taking tendencies, and whether you’re likely to own a pet or enjoy watching sports. In my case, I’d say about 60 per cent of these traits felt accurate. For instance, I have freckles and curly hair, and I tend to remember my dreams. However, I’m not an endurance runner, I don’t have a cleft chin, and I’m definitely not a morning person.

Overall, I found Ancestry to be a comprehensive and well-rounded DNA test, with its evolving family tree services making the subscription fee feel well worth it.

My experience with MyHeritage was a little different from the other DNA tests I tried. It took longer to arrive – about two months – which, as I later found out from MyHeritage, is normal. So, if you’re hoping for quick results, this is something to keep in mind.

The DNA collection process was straightforward – it uses a cheek swab, but unlike some other kits, postage isn’t included, so you’ll need to pay for a stamp to send it back. While the kit price includes a basic subscription, accessing more detailed results requires a monthly subscription. The cost varies depending on the features you want, with the “ultimate package” costing £229 per year.

That said, I was really impressed with the way my geological data was presented. My results appeared in a swirling globe animation, highlighting the previous homes of my ancestors. The expected results showed up – 64 per cent English, 30 per cent Irish, Scottish, and Welsh – but this test revealed something surprising: five per cent Iberian heritage, which wasn’t picked up by the other tests. While that doesn’t necessarily mean the other tests were wrong, it was an interesting discovery.

As for my living family matches, MyHeritage stood out the most. It identified around 10 close relatives, mostly first cousins of my parents. My dad even recognised some names as relatives he'd lost touch with years ago. Thanks to these connections, I could trace detailed family trees going back to the early 1800s, which was fascinating.

Another feature I loved was the ability to animate old photos using AI – a fun and sentimental touch. This is unique among the kits I tested - you won’t get this from Ancestry or Living DNA.

Your DNA data is not sold, licensed, or shared with third parties without your explicit consent, so make sure to read all the terms and conditions when signing up. You can control how visible or easy to contact you are via account settings, and much like the other sites, you can have your data deleted at any time. However, if you want to have your DNA destroyed, you must email MyHeritage directly via its customer support channels.

While the MyHeritage website itself is quite basic and doesn’t provide DNA insights into health or genetic traits compared to the others in this list, I found it exceptional for building detailed, easy-to-follow family trees.

I also came across the MyStories service (£79 from Mystories.com), a year-long membership that sends weekly prompts and questions to you or a chosen family member. At the end of the year, these stories and memories are curated into a beautiful keepsake book – perfect for a meaningful gift.

With this DNA test, both the kit and my results arrived quickly. What really impressed me was the detailed breakdown of where in the UK my DNA could be traced. Each region was listed with its own percentage, and unsurprisingly, southeast England, where I was born and raised, had the highest score.

Living DNA was also the first test to introduce me to my haplogroup – a group of people who share a common ancestor from up to 50 generations ago. The Living DNA mitochondrial test traced this group back to my earliest maternal ancestors. I learned that my haplogroup, U5a, is believed to have emerged during the coldest point of the Ice Age around 22,000 years ago – sounds like a tough bunch to me.

One of Living DNA’s standout features is its well-being insights, which focus on identifying potential deficiencies rather than medical conditions. For example, I was told I may be low in vitamins B12 and A, with helpful advice to increase my intake of milk, eggs, cheese, or supplements. I also learned I’m genetically not very strong, so the test recommended focusing on light resistance exercises with increased reps for better results. There’s also an option to sign up for a customised supplement subscription tailored to your results.

This test was less impressive than the other two at family matching. With a smaller and less active database than the other, more well-known sites, my results only highlighted a handful of third and fourth cousins. Despite this, I loved how clear and engaging the ancestor mapping was. One feature I found fascinating was the ability to trace the migration of my maternal ancestors, who are believed to have been among the first groups to migrate out of Eastern Africa almost 70,000 years ago.

Living DNA does not share your data with third parties without your explicit consent. However, they may share aggregate data, but only in a manner where individuals cannot be identified, so keep that in mind. DNA-matching services are optional, and users can manage their preferences through account settings. The site retains your DNA sample for six months after analysis. You can request the destruction of your sample at any time, even while maintaining an account to receive updates.

For those with a deeper interest in ancestry, Living DNA also offers extra packages that attempt to identify Viking, Neanderthal, and ancient world connections in your DNA.

If you’re only interested in certain results, you can choose to purchase the ancestry or well-being tests separately for a lower cost, which adds some nice flexibility.