Genealogy on a Budget
Answers to your questions about your own ancestry including finding or learning more about your biological family, is priceless.
But let’s be realistic: genealogy can be an expensive effort. Thankfully, there are a few tricks to keeping costs reasonable. Some professional genealogy and DNA research services start off costing thousands of dollars, but in most cases that is not necessary.
The best tip is to spread out your costs so they aren’t hurting your bank account all at once.
Here’s how to save money on DNA testing, genetic genealogy and genealogy research, and still get the information and answers you’re searching for.
Take 1 DNA Test
Although we recommend taking more than once DNA test, a single DNA test may be all that is needed to find the information and answers you’re looking for. We recommend starting with an Ancestry.com DNA test. The reason is simple. DNA is data. Think of the companies that provide DNA testing as databanks. Each databank has specific information. Overall Ansestry.com is an extremely valuable databank for genealogy research, and when you add DNA, it’s even better. Once we’ve evaluated your Ancestry.com results, we will know if additional testing, such as 23andMe, is needed.
Find a DNA Test on Sale
DNA tests go on sale all the time. We recommend you start with an Ancestry.com test. All you have to do is keep checking the website of your preferred DNA testing company for sales and discounts. Typically tests are around $100 but you can easily get an Ancestry.com DNA or 23andMe test, or a test from another company, for less than $100. And again, you don’t need to take all of the tests right away. Y-DNA testing is just over $100 but should only be taken in certain situations.
Get the minimum membership subscription
Most DNA testing companies charge a flat fee or a monthly subscription fee in addition to the cost of DNA testing. But if all you want is to take a DNA test and see your DNA matches, you can save money by opting for the fee or subscription option that is least expensive. For example, ancestry.com charges $100 for testing and DNA match information. If you want access to their genealogy records database, you will need to pay extra. That can be anywhere from $1 for a few months, or much more.
Upload Your DNA to a Second (or 3rd or 4th) Testing Website
This is where you can save a lot of money. Not every testing company requires you to take their DNA test. Some companies allow you to upload your DNA data to their databank and find DNA matches, for little or no cost (around $20). This means that if you take a DNA test with Ancestry.com you can easily download your DNA data from their website, and upload it to another testing website. See the chart below for a basic comparison and read more about the most popular DNA tests when deciding which DNA test is right for you.
Hire a Professional
Thorough and accurate research requires time and access to more than just DNA matches. Unfortunately many of the documents that are needed for research cost money to access, which can quickly add up. Hiring a professional genealogist who already has access to these resources and information saves you from taking on those costs yourself. Schedule a free consultation today to get started.