23andMe is perhaps the most recognizable name in the home DNA tests industry. The company, named after the 23 chromosome pairs in humans, essentially founded the direct-to-consumer-genetic-tests space when it opened shop in 2006.
23andMe genetic testing serves clients in the USA, Canada and the UK, among others. The company now has roughly 15m customers. In 2025 it went through Chapter 11 and its consumer genetics and research business was acquired out of bankruptcy by a nonprofit parent (now the 23andMe Research Institute, founded and led by Anne Wojcicki). The direct‑to‑consumer service remains fully operational, with kits sold on 23andme.com and major retailers. Read our comprehensive 23andMe review to learn more about what exactly is 23andMe, what the company offers, how much 23andMe costs today and get our editorial opinion about them.
23andMe Pros and Cons
If you don’t want to read through our comprehensive 2000+ word 23andMe review all the way through, you are welcomed to read our simple pros and cons below:
23andMe Pros
- Industry veteran with one of the largest customer databases
- Very comprehensive reports (health + ancestry) and polished user interface
- Most granular ancestry breakdown available (now 4,000+ groups)
- Maternal/paternal haplogroups and Neanderthal % included
- Service continues under nonprofit parent with stated privacy commitments
23andMe Cons
- Major privacy/security incidents (2023 breach) and ongoing trust concerns
- Bankruptcy and 2025 restructuring; ownership change raised data‑transfer worries
- Marketing around “4,000+ regions” can be confusing (not all are %‑based reference regions)
- Not the cheapest; upsells via membership tiers
- Less genealogy tooling vs. Ancestry/MyHeritage (records, trees)
Our Rating: 88.4%
23andMe Review’s Essential Data
| Can be used for | Genetic overview for health/fitness purposes, ancestry |
| DNA collection | Saliva sample |
| Number of SNPs tested | ≈640,000 (Illumina GSA) + ~50,000 custom content |
| DNA sample stored? | Yes (opt‑in storage and deletion options available) |
| Availability | Selected countries incl. USA, Canada, UK and parts of the EU (see shipping page) |
| Price | Ancestry Service list ~$99 (often $89 sale); Health+Ancestry list ~$199 (often $109 sale). 23andMe+ Premium membership ~$69/yr; 23andMe+ Total Health kit often ~$399 (list $499) with $199/yr membership. Check site for current promos. |
| Platform matching for family | Yes (DNA Relatives) |
| Geographical analysis of ancestry | Yes – broad reference regions plus 4,000+ Country Matches & Genetic Groups |
| Special features | Ancestry composition, haplogroups, Neanderthal %, traits; optional 23andMe+ premium reports |
| Number of users | ~15,000,000 |
| Ownership | As of July 2025, operated under the nonprofit parent (now “23andMe Research Institute”; previously TTAM Research Institute) led by Anne Wojcicki |
| Address | Privacy/Legal contact: 23andMe Research Institute, 2555 Park Blvd, Palo Alto, CA 94306 |
| Website Address | www.23andme.com and local websites: www.23andme.ca and www.23andme.co.uk |
| Client reviews | Mixed; e.g., Walmart listing ~3.9/5 from ~5,500+ ratings; privacy & customer‑service complaints are common themes |
Company background for 23andme
23andMe is in a unique position in the direct to consumer DNA test kits space—being the pioneer and significantly larger than most competitors. The company was founded in April 2006 and has grown to ~15 million users worldwide.
After going public via SPAC in 2021, 23andMe struggled financially and filed for Chapter 11 in early 2025. In July 2025, its Personal Genome Service and Research Services were acquired out of bankruptcy by a nonprofit parent (now the 23andMe Research Institute). The core consumer service continues under this structure, with stated commitments to existing privacy policies.
23andMe Genetic Testing and the FDA
In 2013, the FDA ordered 23andMe to stop marketing health risk reports; later, revised reports received authorization and are now offered. Remember: FDA authorization governs how these tests are marketed—it does not make them diagnostic. For example, BRCA checks cover a limited set of variants and are not a substitute for clinical testing. Discuss any concerning results with your physician.
23andMe’s full offering review
23andMe has two core offerings, the Ancestry Service and the Health + Ancestry Service. The Ancestry Service provides only ancestry information (geographic breakdown, relatives). The Health + Ancestry Service adds health predisposition, carrier status, wellness and traits. Details below:
Ancestry Service
The Ancestry Service includes several reports: Ancestry Composition (broad regions), Maternal and Paternal Haplogroups, Neanderthal Ancestry, and Your DNA Family. You can optionally use DNA Relatives to find genetic matches. Raw data download is included.
Pricing fluctuates with promos; list price is typically ~$99 (often ~$89 sale). You can upgrade to Health + Ancestry later without re‑spitting.
Health + Ancestry Service
Includes all of the Ancestry Service plus genetic health risk, carrier status, traits and wellness. 23andMe continues to add reports; some are FDA‑authorized screening reports, but these are not diagnoses. Membership tiers (23andMe+ Premium, and 23andMe+ Total Health) add premium reports and, for Total Health, blood testing.
Typical list price is ~$199 (often ~$109 sale); memberships currently run about $69/year (Premium) or $199/year (Total Health). Pricing changes frequently; check the official site for current offers.
How it works, what will your 23andMe kit include?
Like other companies, a collection tube is sent to your house for your saliva. Spit in the tube and send it back to the lab. Typical turnaround is about 3–6 weeks from when your sample arrives at the lab (check your account for live status).
23andMe uses a SNP microarray to test a large set of known variants (≈640k on its current Illumina GSA platform plus custom content), which is sufficient for ancestry and many trait/health reports. Whole‑genome sequencing is not performed for standard kits.
Depending on whether you selected the Health + Ancestry package or Ancestry alone, you’ll see the corresponding set of reports once results are ready. Simply log in to the platform to view.
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Geographic regions, backed by reference panels |
Broad reference regions + 4,000+ Country Matches & Genetic Groups |
Ancestry Reports
Your autosomal DNA is compared against global reference populations to estimate ancestry percentages across broad regions. 23andMe also now shows “4,000+” Country Matches & Genetic Groups—finer‑grained communities built from genetic clusters. These are useful for context and connection but are not the same as %‑based reference regions, which is why the region count in marketing can be confusing if you don’t read the fine print.
You’ll also get Neanderthal Ancestry, maternal/paternal haplogroups, and optional relative matching.
Genetic Health Risk Reports
These indicate whether you carry certain variants associated with increased risk for specific conditions. They are not diagnostic; talk to your physician about any concerning results or family history.
Carrier Status Reports
Shows whether you carry variants for certain recessive conditions (e.g., cystic fibrosis, sickle cell). Useful for family planning; again, not a diagnosis.
Polygenic Risk Reports
23andMe also offers polygenic/PRS‑based insights for some traits/conditions and continues to expand its library.
Trait & Wellness Reports
Dozens of trait and wellness insights (sleep, weight, caffeine, etc.). These describe small genetic effects and include general health recommendations.
Will your data be shared?
23andMe has a detailed privacy policy. By default, your identifiable data isn’t shared without your explicit consent; aggregate/de‑identified data may be used for research. You can opt out of research, request deletion of your data, and (if you opted to store your DNA sample) request its destruction.
Important context: In 2023, 23andMe disclosed a credential‑stuffing incident—about 14,000 accounts were directly accessed, and because of the DNA Relatives feature, profile/ancestry info tied to ~6–7 million users was scraped. In early 2025, during bankruptcy, several state Attorneys General urged users to consider deleting their data, citing uncertainty around ownership changes. Following the July 2025 nonprofit acquisition, the company reiterated that existing privacy rights (opt‑out and deletion) remain available to customers. Two‑factor authentication is now effectively required, and terms/policies were updated.
Media coverage and user opinions
23andMe frequently makes headlines—both for scientific features and for privacy concerns. Recent coverage includes the 2023 breach, 2025 bankruptcy and the court‑approved sale to a nonprofit led by Anne Wojcicki, plus multiple consumer alerts from state authorities about deletion rights. User reviews remain mixed: many praise the interface and breadth of reports; others criticize customer support, long processing times during peaks, and—most of all—privacy/security.
- Reuters – bankruptcy & sale developments (2025)
- AP – court approval for nonprofit acquisition (2025)
- Politico – California AG objection & GIPA concerns (2025)
- 23andMe Blog/Help Center – 4,000+ ancestry update, processing times, and privacy pages
- Walmart/Amazon listings – current retail availability and user ratings
User acceptance:
According to 23andMe’s site and major retailers, customer sentiment is mixed. On Walmart, a current listing for Health+Ancestry shows ~3.9/5 from ~5,500+ ratings. Positive feedback cites ease of use and breadth of insights; negative reviews often cite privacy worries, occasional sample failures, and customer service delays.
23andMe Review: Executive Summary
Overall
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Reputation and credibility - 5%
5%
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Depth of offering - 100%
100%
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For health testing - 99%
99%
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For ancestry testing - 95%
95%
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Quality of results - 97%
97%
Summary of our findings
23andMe is a very diverse company that excels on both health and genealogy tests. 23andMe DNA tests are easy to conduct, relatively cheap, and yield a full set of results that other companies aren’t able to produce.
The company is a combination of fun facts about your genetic heritage and body, combined with very important data that could be used for more serious purposes such as identifying genetic risks to certain diseases – A 23andMe kit is one of the best there are on the market. Unfortunately, they have been one of the most scandalous brands in the internet’s history with very low level of credibility and although the company has been restructured and reorganized we cannot vouch for their credibility considering their spotty history.
Pros
Cons