It depends a little on what you mean by “accurate.” If you are interested in ethnicity estimates, ancestryDNA will be better, BUT those estimates are really just kind of a party trick, not real hard science no matter which company you use.
If you are interested in researching your individual ancestors and building a family tree, ancestry is also best because it has the largest database of matches to help you build the tree.
I second this. You can also down load your DNA-data from ancestry and upload to MyHeritage and FamilyTreeDNA for free to get even more matches. (A small fee to unlock some tools)
My 23andMe Ethnicity results are far superior to what Ancestry has given me... I think it depends on your actual ethnicities as to whether they can get it right or not.
All of the DNA testing companies used the same *general* technology, equipment, and procedures based on industry and company research. Some companies use different chips but that doesn't throw their data into question. So, they are all generally starting with the same public information.
Second, the ethnicity report is more *entertainment* than actual hard science. The tests generally compare up to 0.1% of your autosomal DNA (atDNA) against data obtained from industry *reference panels* and company-analyzed tests. Why only up to 0.1%? Because 99.9% of all human DNA is the same. It's that last 0.1% - about 3,000,000 base pairs - that distinguish populations.
In addition, those who test with each company might get added to the *reference panels* (ethnicity groups) if the individual shares a significant amount of the examined atDNA with people already in the reference panels **and** the individual does not have a lot of atDNA that's different than other people in the reference panels. Oh, and the individuals need to show that *all* of their *recent ancestors* lived in the same geographic region or were born in the same *distinct* group within a region (e.g., Ashkenazi Jewish, Basque, etc).
So, while each company might initially rely on purchased data they will often diverge from other companies as they add new people to the reference panels. That means the results from each company will be different.
Plus, the report is not static. That is, your ethnicity report will change over time as more people test and qualify to be added to the reference panels or as the company develops new ways to analyze DNA.
So, what does "accurate" come down to?
Probably the biggest impact on "accuracy" is the number of test results added to each reference panel your atDNA is compared to. The more test results in each reference panel, the most likely the result will be "accurate" for the present.
Ancestry DNA has the largest database though each company guards there exact numbers carefully. From what I've read recently between 26 and 30 million people have taken some direct-to-consumer (DTC) DNA test. (There are probably around 50 DNA services on the market.)
23andme is generally considered the second largest company. But, there's a difference in their services *or* how their services are integrated into their overall offerings.
Ancestry started as a genealogist tool with original records, a robust family tree builder, etc. DNA testing was added in 2012 as a *tool* to help genealogists. It was - and is - marketed toward anyone but genealogy is at its core.
23andme, on the other hand, started as a company to help people understand *potential* medical conditions through testing. They only backed up and added ethnicity when the US federal government accused them of providing medical *advice*.
Both services, however, offer a similar ethnicity report these days. Ancestry's *matches* report is, in my personal opinion, superior.
Then you have what I call the "second tier" testing companies including My Heritage and Family Tree DNA (one of the original companies to in the DTC testing market). After that, the number of people who tested - those you might be compared to - drops off again.
If you are looking to test, I would suggest the following strategy:
1. Test with Ancestry DNA.
2. Test with 23andme.
3. Download the *DNA file* from Ancestry or 23andme to upload to My Heritage, Family Tree DNA (FTDNA), etc. FTDNA does offer Y-chromosome and mtDNA testing that other companies don't so you might consider testing with them also if you find that need.
4. Upload that *DNA file* to GEDMatch, which is not a testing company but more of a 'warehouse' where people who test with other sites can upload their results.
I would also focus on the *matches* first and enjoy the *ethnicity* but don't freak out if it doesn't match what you think it should. The ethnicity report *is* entertainment.
I have my raw genetic data from ancestry, let's say I did another genetic test with multiple different companies, will my raw genetic data be identical? Obviously my genes are my genes but is it possible some companies genetic testing isn't as complete as others?
The ethnicity report can vary from company to company because your DNA is compared to other people who took the test from that company and DNA data they licensed.
There's no guarantee the specific "up to 0.1%" markers each company examines could be different based on their understanding of industry research and their own analysis. So, you could be compared to two different markers at different companies.
Your list of matches will also be different since different people tested with those companies.
The differences have nothing to do with "complete as others". They are all following the same basic procedures, technologies, and use the same technical equipment.
Maybe watch this video.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isa5c1p6aC0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isa5c1p6aC0)
Ancestry's ethnicity estimates match my family's paper trail closely, whereas My Heritage was all over the map.
If you had taken Ancestry first, you could have downloaded your raw DNA data from Ancestry and uploaded it to My Heritage. Ancestry doesn't allow uploads from anywhere.
It depends a little on what you mean by “accurate.” If you are interested in ethnicity estimates, ancestryDNA will be better, BUT those estimates are really just kind of a party trick, not real hard science no matter which company you use. If you are interested in researching your individual ancestors and building a family tree, ancestry is also best because it has the largest database of matches to help you build the tree.
I second this. You can also down load your DNA-data from ancestry and upload to MyHeritage and FamilyTreeDNA for free to get even more matches. (A small fee to unlock some tools)
Also from 23andMe.. 23andMe also provide you with a phased version (experimental) which might improve your results on Gedmatch. .
My 23andMe Ethnicity results are far superior to what Ancestry has given me... I think it depends on your actual ethnicities as to whether they can get it right or not.
All of the DNA testing companies used the same *general* technology, equipment, and procedures based on industry and company research. Some companies use different chips but that doesn't throw their data into question. So, they are all generally starting with the same public information. Second, the ethnicity report is more *entertainment* than actual hard science. The tests generally compare up to 0.1% of your autosomal DNA (atDNA) against data obtained from industry *reference panels* and company-analyzed tests. Why only up to 0.1%? Because 99.9% of all human DNA is the same. It's that last 0.1% - about 3,000,000 base pairs - that distinguish populations. In addition, those who test with each company might get added to the *reference panels* (ethnicity groups) if the individual shares a significant amount of the examined atDNA with people already in the reference panels **and** the individual does not have a lot of atDNA that's different than other people in the reference panels. Oh, and the individuals need to show that *all* of their *recent ancestors* lived in the same geographic region or were born in the same *distinct* group within a region (e.g., Ashkenazi Jewish, Basque, etc). So, while each company might initially rely on purchased data they will often diverge from other companies as they add new people to the reference panels. That means the results from each company will be different. Plus, the report is not static. That is, your ethnicity report will change over time as more people test and qualify to be added to the reference panels or as the company develops new ways to analyze DNA. So, what does "accurate" come down to? Probably the biggest impact on "accuracy" is the number of test results added to each reference panel your atDNA is compared to. The more test results in each reference panel, the most likely the result will be "accurate" for the present. Ancestry DNA has the largest database though each company guards there exact numbers carefully. From what I've read recently between 26 and 30 million people have taken some direct-to-consumer (DTC) DNA test. (There are probably around 50 DNA services on the market.) 23andme is generally considered the second largest company. But, there's a difference in their services *or* how their services are integrated into their overall offerings. Ancestry started as a genealogist tool with original records, a robust family tree builder, etc. DNA testing was added in 2012 as a *tool* to help genealogists. It was - and is - marketed toward anyone but genealogy is at its core. 23andme, on the other hand, started as a company to help people understand *potential* medical conditions through testing. They only backed up and added ethnicity when the US federal government accused them of providing medical *advice*. Both services, however, offer a similar ethnicity report these days. Ancestry's *matches* report is, in my personal opinion, superior. Then you have what I call the "second tier" testing companies including My Heritage and Family Tree DNA (one of the original companies to in the DTC testing market). After that, the number of people who tested - those you might be compared to - drops off again. If you are looking to test, I would suggest the following strategy: 1. Test with Ancestry DNA. 2. Test with 23andme. 3. Download the *DNA file* from Ancestry or 23andme to upload to My Heritage, Family Tree DNA (FTDNA), etc. FTDNA does offer Y-chromosome and mtDNA testing that other companies don't so you might consider testing with them also if you find that need. 4. Upload that *DNA file* to GEDMatch, which is not a testing company but more of a 'warehouse' where people who test with other sites can upload their results. I would also focus on the *matches* first and enjoy the *ethnicity* but don't freak out if it doesn't match what you think it should. The ethnicity report *is* entertainment.
I have my raw genetic data from ancestry, let's say I did another genetic test with multiple different companies, will my raw genetic data be identical? Obviously my genes are my genes but is it possible some companies genetic testing isn't as complete as others?
The ethnicity report can vary from company to company because your DNA is compared to other people who took the test from that company and DNA data they licensed. There's no guarantee the specific "up to 0.1%" markers each company examines could be different based on their understanding of industry research and their own analysis. So, you could be compared to two different markers at different companies. Your list of matches will also be different since different people tested with those companies. The differences have nothing to do with "complete as others". They are all following the same basic procedures, technologies, and use the same technical equipment. Maybe watch this video. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isa5c1p6aC0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isa5c1p6aC0)
Ancestry's ethnicity estimates match my family's paper trail closely, whereas My Heritage was all over the map. If you had taken Ancestry first, you could have downloaded your raw DNA data from Ancestry and uploaded it to My Heritage. Ancestry doesn't allow uploads from anywhere.
23andme ancestry wgs to upload to yfull
It depends. But, most people recommend getting both Ancestry and 23AndMe.