What MyHeritage Actually Offers (and What It Costs)
The base kit runs $89, cheek swab, mailed off, results back in three to four weeks. That covers ethnicity results and DNA matching. Historical records, unlimited family tree size, most of the good stuff, that's locked behind a subscription.
| Tier | Price | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Family tree up to 250 people, limited record access |
| Premium | $129/year ($89 first year) | Larger tree, Smart Matches |
| Premium Plus | $209/year ($149 first year) | Unlimited tree size |
| Complete | $299/year ($199 first year) | Full records access, unlimited tree |
Health reports aren't included either. That's a separate $120 to $199 upgrade on top of the base kit. Worth knowing before you click buy, since the $89 headline number doesn't really reflect what most serious users end up paying once a year in.
Where MyHeritage Beats the Competition
The Price Advantage
$89 undercuts AncestryDNA's $99 and 23andMe's $119 kit. Subscriptions run cheaper too, generally, though the gap narrows once you're comparing Complete against Ancestry's higher tiers.
The International Record Depth
19.4 billion historical records, spread across 42 languages. That's where MyHeritage genuinely pulls ahead, especially for European ancestry research. US-only genealogy? Ancestry's still stronger there.
The AI Photo Tools
Photo Enhancer, In Color, Deep Nostalgia, this whole suite is honestly unique to MyHeritage right now. Nobody else in the DNA testing space has matched it. Some users find it more novelty than useful, but it's a real differentiator either way.
DNA File Uploads
Already tested with Ancestry or 23andMe? Upload that raw data instead of buying another kit. Saves money, and it still plugs you into MyHeritage's matching system.
The DNA Database Problem
The Numbers
Here's the tradeoff nobody advertises upfront. MyHeritage's DNA database sits around 9.6 million profiles. Ancestry's is closer to 28 million. That's a real gap, and it matters most if you're hunting for US relatives specifically.
The Accuracy Shift
MyHeritage moved to whole-genome sequencing, WGS 2x, back in October 2025. The company says that improved precision across its 2,114 ethnic regions. Worth noting though, that's MyHeritage's own claim, not something independently verified. And a sharper ethnicity breakdown doesn't fix the smaller database, those are two separate problems.
What It Means for You
European ancestry, MyHeritage's region detail might genuinely serve you better. Chasing down US cousins though? Ancestry's bigger pool wins that one, pretty much every time.
The Subscription Paywall
The Free Tier
You get a 250-person family tree, some limited record access, a few photo tool trials. Enough to poke around and see if you like it. Not enough to actually finish real research.
The Subscription Reality
Full access runs anywhere from $129 to $299 a year depending on tier. Records lock up fast once a trial ends. You can see DNA matches without paying, sure, but contacting them meaningfully usually needs the paid tier.
The Auto-Renewal Risk
This is the part worth flagging directly. The trial period converts into a full annual charge if you don't cancel in time, and BBB and Trustpilot both show a real pattern of complaints here, unexpected charges, slow refunds, people forgetting the trial was even running. Not an isolated gripe. It shows up often enough to matter.
The Data Breach and Privacy Question
What Happened in 2017
92 million login credentials leaked that year. Passwords were hashed, so the damage was limited, but a breach at that scale is still worth taking seriously for anyone handing over genetic data.
What MyHeritage Says Now
The company states it's GDPR compliant, that DNA is never sold to insurers or pharmaceutical companies, and that raw data can be downloaded or deleted whenever a user wants. No major breach reported since 2017.
The Trust Calculation
No recent incident is a good sign, genuinely. But for something as permanent as genetic data, "nothing's happened lately" and "fully trustworthy" aren't quite the same claim. Worth sitting with that distinction before uploading your DNA anywhere.
MyHeritage vs. the Alternatives: Three Ways to Trace Your Roots
vs. AncestryDNA
Ancestry wins on raw database size, 28 million versus 9.6 million, and US record depth. MyHeritage wins on price and European coverage.
vs. 23andMe
23andMe covers health reports and Y-DNA/mtDNA testing MyHeritage simply doesn't touch. MyHeritage counters with deeper genealogy tools and that photo restoration suite.
vs. FamilyTreeDNA
FTDNA specializes in paternal and maternal lineage tracing through Y-DNA and mtDNA. MyHeritage stays autosomal-only, but brings a bigger database and noticeably better software.
| Factor | MyHeritage | AncestryDNA | 23andMe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $89 kit | $99 kit | $119 kit |
| DNA Database | ~9.6 million | ~28 million | Large, US-focused |
| Ethnic Regions | 2,114 | ~1,500 | Fewer, broader |
| Health Reports | Separate upgrade | Not offered | Included |
| Genealogy Tools | Strong, international | Strong, US-focused | Limited |
| Best For | European ancestry, photo tools | US relative matching | Health insights |
Who Should Buy MyHeritage — and Who Shouldn't
Buy MyHeritage If...
Your roots trace back to Europe. You want the AI photo tools, genuinely, they're worth trying. You're price-sensitive. You already tested elsewhere and just want to upload more matches without paying twice.
Buy AncestryDNA or 23andMe Instead If...
You're mainly hunting US relatives, Ancestry's bigger database wins that search. Wanting health insights baked in, 23andMe handles that natively. Need Y-DNA or mtDNA testing, that's FamilyTreeDNA's territory. And if subscription paywalls genuinely bother you, that's worth weighing seriously here too.
Review the Best MyHeritage Products
FAQ
Is MyHeritage DNA accurate?
The core ethnicity results are generally considered reliable, and the 2025 WGS upgrade reportedly improved precision, though that claim comes from MyHeritage itself rather than independent testing.
Is MyHeritage free?
The family tree tool is free for up to 250 people. Full record access and DNA matching features require a paid subscription though.
Can I upload DNA from Ancestry to MyHeritage?
Yes, raw DNA files from other major testing services can be uploaded, no need to buy a second kit.
What happened in the MyHeritage data breach?
In 2017, 92 million login credentials were exposed. Passwords were hashed, limiting the practical damage, but it remains a relevant privacy data point.
Does MyHeritage sell my DNA?
The company states it does not sell genetic data to insurers or pharmaceutical companies, and that users can download or delete their raw data at any time.
How does MyHeritage compare to AncestryDNA?
MyHeritage costs less and offers deeper European records, but its DNA database is roughly a third the size of Ancestry's, a real disadvantage for US-focused searches.