Upload Raw DNA Data

Where To Upload Raw DNA Data For Free!

You’ve got your DNA test results and have seen what they say about your ancestry. But where can you find out even more information about your DNA?

Upload Raw DNA Data

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What online sources are available to you?

In this post, I want to show you where to upload raw DNA data, (your genetic information). I will discuss 6 websites where you can do this for free.

So, please read on and see what they have to offer you!

6 Free Sites To Upload DNA Results

The following sites that I have reviewed are not in any particular order, (only alphabetically).

If you feel that a site is missing then please comment below. I will be sure to review it and add it here.

Discontinued Service

Originally this post contained information regarding Gencove. Unfortunately, their free DNA upload service has been discontinued.

Despite this, I have decided to keep their information here for historical purposes.

Please Note!

I was expecting to see 23andMe and AncestryDNA offer the ability for you to upload your DNA results. Unfortunately, both of these sites do not offer this at this time.

Express Your Thoughts Below

Express Your Thoughts Below!

I would love to hear from you.

First, What Is Raw DNA Data?

In a nutshell, it is a computerized file of letters and numbers. It is a file that shows your DNA, although it is not all of your DNA.

Credit:   Brianne Kirkpatrick

Only about 10,000 or so markers will be shown in the data file. These markers are also referred to as variations that can give tell-tale signs of your heritage.

Reasons to upload your DNA to a 3rd party site

It can be pretty damn exciting to get your DNA test results back and see where your ancestors originated from.

There is plenty of information stored within your results. So, why should you upload your raw DNA data somewhere else?

1. Get more information

Believe it or not but you can get even more information from an external source. Each sites’ algorithms will be different which means you will get different results from each of them.

Plus, they may offer additional features that you may not have received from your original DNA testing company.

2. Get connected with relatives

AncestryDNA is the most popular out of all the companies so chances are pretty high that you will get a match with this service, (if you originally got tested with this company).

However, not everyone who has had their DNA tested has gone through them.

So, it is possible to get matches from other sites as well, which will help your research even more.


DNA Land

This site is run by a non-profit organization. It is affiliated with both Colombia University and the New York Genome Center.

DNA Land

What are they about?

Not only will you learn more about your ancestry through this site but you may also be connected with other people who have submitted their data.

Please be advised that if you upload your DNA data to this site then you will consent to your data being used for scientific research.

You will remain anonymous though and so your results will not be linked to you.

On submitting your data you will fill in a survey about yourself as well as your family, and also your health.

What can you expect:

  • See more genetic variations
  • Find more relatives (possible)
  • More features will be added so you will get more results
  • The opportunity to help research in healthcare

Supports uploads from: 23andMe, Ancestry DNA, Family Tree DNA, and MyHeritage DNA

Check Out DNA Land Now


FamilyTreeDNA

As this is a major company within the genealogy DNA testing world I was expecting that there would be a charge to upload your DNA and see some results.

Family Tree DNA Testing Review!

So, it was a nice surprise to see that this service is completely free!

What are they about?

FamilyTreeDNA does offer the 3 different tests when it comes to testing your ancestry. There is the basic Autosomal, and then there is Mitochondrial (maternal line) and Y-Chromosome (paternal line).

Even though you can utilize this site for free, you will only see autosomal testing results. So, if you were expecting to see more results concerning your maternal and paternal ancestry then I’m sorry to say that you will not get that.

You would have to pay extra to get this testing. Also, you will not get access to the new Chromosome Browser, myOrigins, and ancientOrigins.

Despite these cons of this site, there are some positives.

As FamilyTreeDNA is well-known in the genealogy world it means that it is very popular. That, therefore, means that there is a larger collection of people within their database.

So, there is an even better chance, (than DNA Land), for you to be matched with someone.

And you can see the differences between your matches.

What you can expect:

  • List of autosomal matches
  • Access Family Finder Matrix where you can compare your matches

Supports uploads from: 23andMe, Ancestry DNA, and MyHeritage DNA


GEDmatch

GEDmatch provides both DNA and genealogy tools that can be used for comparison and research as well.

GED match

What are they about?

The site is supported by a collection of people who are passionate about genealogy and DNA, which includes users, volunteers, and researchers.

It is a really popular site that you can get so much from. But as it is popular you can expect the site to be slow at times.

This is a mostly free site where you can upload your raw DNA results. They do however offer some premium tools where they encourage people to support them with contributions.

Not only can you upload your DNA results to this site but also your GEDCOM file, (your family tree). Uploading both of these will help you get the most out of the tools that are offered.

When you sign up to this site you can choose whether to have a Private, Public, or Research profile.

  • Private will mean that people cannot compare your results, but could be used with other tools.
  • Public will mean that anyone can see your results to compare against. Please be advised that your kit number, name, and email address may also be displayed as well.
  • Research will allow people to see your results when others do a one-to-one comparison.

Please note that your raw DNA will NOT be available to anyone, not even you.

What you can expect:

  • Match with other people who have uploaded their results
  • Tools to compare and analyze other peoples’ DNA
  • Admixture results which include ethnicity/heritage predictions
  • Archaic DNA, Eye Color, Parent Relatedness, Kit Diagnostics, Tier 1 options

Supports uploads from: 23andMe, AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, MyHeritage DNA, and WeGene, Genes for Good, GenectiConcept

Update:

Gedmatch now offers free DNA reports and Cousin Matches. This I feel is one step they have made that will push what the paid sites will have to offer.

Check Out GEDmatch Now


GEDmatch Genesis

This is a somewhat improvement on the GEDmatch site that I have just reviewed. From this site, you can also compare your DNA to other people.

However, as the site is still new the database is smaller, so there will be less chance of you connecting with others.

What are they about?

So you may be wondering what are the improvements with this site, even though fewer people are using this site. Don’t be worried as more people are signing up for it.

There are two main advantages of this site compared to its predecessor.

  1. The improved algorithm was used to compare DNA results. This will therefore translate to more accurate DNA matches. This can also mean that you do not have to waste your time contacting people that may not be a relative.
  2. More DNA kits accepted. With the original GEDmatch site, you were not able to upload your raw DNA if you had been tested by LivingDNA. This is not the case with this site.

What you can expect:

  • Compare people, either one-to-one or one-to-many
  • Better search results
  • Admixture results
  • Estimate of validity, similar to the confidence feature used with AncestryDNA

Supports uploads from: 23andMe, AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, LivingDNA, MyHeritageDNA, and WeGene, Genes for Good, GenectiConcept.

Check Out GEDmatch Genesis Now


Living DNA

This genealogical site has recently accepted your raw DNA from other well-known sites. And I am pleased to say that this service is free!

Living DNA

What are they about?

Living DNA began operating back in July 2016 when they first started to sell ancestry testing. Because of their association with the very popular genealogy program ‘Who Do You Think You Are‘ they saw a welcome increase in their DNA testing service.

Through the years they have refined this service to make it simpler for you to interpret your DNA results. This improvement has meant that you can better understand where you come from.

What you can expect:

  • Check your ethnicity with your DNA markers compared to 8 regions around the world
  • Match your DNA with other members of the site
  • Discover your Nutrition and Vitamin D information – coming soon!
  • Discover your muscle performance – coming soon!

Supports uploads from: 23andMe, AncestryDNA, and MyHeritageDNA.

Check Out Living DNA Now!


MyHeritageDNA

Originally this site only offered only access to genealogical records but for a paid subscription. Similar to Ancestry they now offer DNA testing.

MyHeritage DNA

What are they about?

If you have already signed up to MyHeritage you will be pleased to know that you can upload your raw DNA data for free.

This new service is fairly quite new so there is less of a chance of you connecting with a relative. But people are joining up every day so there may be a possibility to get connected in the future.

There have been reviews where people have been unsatisfied with their ethnicity estimates.

So, if you are not completely satisfied with the results that you receive then why not check out any of the above sites that I have reviewed.

What you can expect:

  • Discover your ancestry and ethnicity
  • Connect with others

Supports uploads from: 23andMe, AncestryDNA, and FamilyTreeDNA

Check Out MyHeritage Now


Discontinued Service!

Gencove

Unfortunately, Gencove has decided not to continue data uploads and DNA kits for individuals. This is because they want to fully focus on our sequencing platform.

Gencove

I will be keeping the following information so that you can see what this company did once offer. Thanks.

This is a recent DNA testing company that was founded in 2017 by scientists at the New York Genome Center. They aim to make your DNA test results easy to read and interpret.

What are they about?

It’s all quite technical when it comes to testing your DNA but suffice it to say Gencove does it differently and makes it cheaper for you. Which is a good thing.

Gencove will test about 10-20% of your genome. That is surprisingly much larger compared to other companies that test a mere 0.02%.

The average price with other companies for DNA testing is usually $100-$200, whereas as Gencove it can be done for as little as $60.

As this is a new company their database is not as large as other companies. But with the platform that they offer you can easily recruit other people and start comparing.

What you can expect

  • More genome covered which means more results, i.e. discovery of new variants in your DNA
  • Get an ethnicity report
  • Match with other people
  • Help others through scientific research

Supports uploads from: 23andMe, AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, LivingDNA, GenesForGood, MyHeritageDNA, and WeGene

Check Out Gencove Now


My Final Thoughts

To be honest there isn’t much difference between these sites. You will probably get a different view of your DNA with these sites which can help you further with your genealogy research.

In my opinion, Gencove does sound the more promising out of all of them as they can test for more variants in your DNA. But as they are a new company you will need to be patient before any matches come your way.

The second advantage of visiting these sites will be that you will have an even better chance of connecting with a relative.

And again as I have said before you can use that to your advantage as you can get more information to help build your family tree.

You can upload your raw DNA data with one or all of them. The choice is yours, but as the saying goes, “the more the merrier“.

What do you think?

If you decide to use any of these free sites then please come back and let me know what you think of it. I would love to hear how it is working for you.

Best DNA Test For Ancestry

Check Out The Best DNA Testing Kits


Thank You and Please Leave A Comment

I hope you enjoyed this post showing you where to upload raw DNA data. If you have any questions or comments then please leave a comment below.

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Summary
Article Name
Upload Raw DNA Data For Free
Description
6 sites to upload raw DNA data for FREE! I give my opinion on each of these sites, what to expect from them, and what DNA testing kits they support.
Author
Publisher Name
The Genealogy Guide
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26 thoughts on “Where To Upload Raw DNA Data For Free!”

  1. Thanks for sharing the blog content for the DNA test and it is very useful for the DNA testing. It is completely shareable and very unique to read about the DNA testings and reports.

    1. Thanks for that Mizz. I’m having trouble though finding the page with information regarding uploading your DNA data. Have you got a direct link?

      Thanks.

  2. Hello Owain,
    Great job putting this together, feel free to include “DNA Romance” a new analysis for your raw autosomal DNA file. By comparing ~48 MHC genes with their other members they predict the “chemistry” component of a relationship. Personality compatibility is based on MBTI personality types and you also see a picture 😉 https://www.dnaromance.com/
    If you have 23andMe, Ancestry DNA, My Heritage or Family Tree DNA then you can see your matches in 30 min.
    Best Wishes
    Tim

  3. Gencove has discontinued data uploads and dna kits for individuals. The explanation on their site says, in part, “… we have decided to fully focus on our sequencing platform and that we will need to gradually discontinue our direct-to-consumer products.”

  4. I have over 5,000 matches on MyHeritage more than any other site so far. I am still awaiting the results from ancestry Thanksgiving offer. I live in the country but have an postcode I was waiting for my kit to arrive when I was contacted by Ancestry requesting my CTC details & address as the courier company couldn’t find me I supplied same & waited & waited no show so I checked my package tracking I contacted Ancestry again, they said despite their efforts the kit was returned undelivered. They posted a new one & only I was tracking this closely the same thing would have happened as this one was shown as returned to depot I contacted the courier Company with CTC no postcode etc & my kit was delivered the following day. Ancestry has the dearest postage charge I wonder why? They have obviously a difficulty capturing mailing details. I presumed they were posting from US & that’s why it was so expensive & taking so long to arrive but I think it was sent from UK. They need to improve their systems if they don’t want to have repeats of this.

    1. Hi Geraldine,

      Well that doesn’t sound good at all. I am sorry to hear that you had difficulty with getting your Ancestry DNA test kit. Did you experience the same thing with MyHeritage?

      Hopefully you will get some interesting results with your Ancestry, and I hope that you get them soon.

      Please let me know when you get them and tell me if they were what you expected.

      All the best.

  5. Lots of good info! I always thought it would be neat to see where my ancestors were from. I just have never actually done it lol. I’d especially be curious to see where my mom’s ancestors were from, as she was adopted as a child. Do you have any suggestions on where I could get raw DNA data? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    1. Hi Sarah,

      Thank you for your comment. To answer your question you get raw DNA data from DNA testing. Once you get your results you can get a copy of these results which then you can upload to various sites for more information.

      Hope this helps.

  6. Loved your very informative post. Am also interested in family history and have done quite a lot into my own. Thank you for going to so much trouble to help.

    When I get my DNA tested and I get my results I’ll be sure to check out the links that you have provided here.

    Kind regards, Jill

    1. You’re welcome Jill. There is so much that you can learn from your DNA. I suggest when you get your results to first see what the DNA testing company has come up with for you. Once you have checked that out then see what these free sites have to offer.

      Good luck and all the best.

    1. Hi Sherry,

      Yes I have shown for each of these sites that you can upload your AncestryDNA results for free. However, I do not see that you can upload your DNA results from elsewhere to AncestryDNA. If you know that it is possible and you can give me a link to check then I will correct this post.

      Thanks,
      Owain

  7. Great article! As someone very interested in genealogy, I am going to have my DNA tested, and I will be referring back to this post when I am ready! I automatically assumed that I would use the services provided on Ancestry, but I see that it’s not necessary. You’ve pointed out some key issues and concerns between all of the companies, which is very valuable to me. I will be contacting you, as I am in the middle of my own searches and feeling stuck, so wondering if you do consultation work? Thanks for a great post!

    1. Hi Amy,

      You may want to check out my The Best DNA Test For Your Ancestry Research post. That post will show you the best DNA testing kits to choose from, (if you haven’t already purchased AncestryDNA).

      I’m sorry but I do not do any consultation work. My previous post 6 Ways To Get Free Genealogy Help will be most useful to you. Incidentally you may want to check out Carol Hill’s Free Genealogy Help site. From there you can email Carol, and let her know that I sent you.

      All the best Amy and I hope you break through your brick wall.

  8. Hi Owain, that is a great review and you have provided a good run down on the advantages and disadvantages of each company. Thank you for spending the time to research these options to help us make an informed choice. Was very helpful. Dave

    1. You’re welcome Dave. I have been meaning to write this post for a while as DNA testing is a hot topic. You can learn so much from your DNA and these sites are great to glean even more information from, and also even to possibly connect with relatives as well.

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