About FamilyTreeDNA
FamilyTreeDNA’s Family Finder focuses on ancestry and genetic-relative matching. A cheek-swab sample is processed by Gene by Gene in Houston, with selected-marker downloads available from your account. It is a genealogy purchase rather than a health screen.
Register your kitReturn cheek swabsExplore ancestry and relatives
Offering
FamilyTreeDNA Family Finder
$48.95
one-time
Ancestry-only kit; no health reports.
What’s included
Included
16 reports, including myOrigins; Chromosome Painter; Family Matching; Chromosome Browser; ancientOrigins; …
Not included
Results
Report
Ancestral population percentages sit alongside a map of the associated regions.
FamilyTreeDNA- Results
- Family Finder ancestry estimates and genetic-relative matching.
- Access
- Web
- Download
- Selected-marker CSV files compressed as GZ; two-factor account verification required.
- Timing
- About 8–9 weeks after the sample enters a laboratory batch.
Collection
Register the Family Finder kit, collect cheek swabs at home and return them for processing by Gene by Gene in Houston.
Reviews
What people complain about
Delays and unanswered messages
Customers describe long waits for results or replacement kit components, with repeated emails sometimes producing little explanation of what is happening or when testing will move forward.
Stories
A FamilyTreeDNA customer
Finding a birth father’s surname
A customer on FamilyTreeDNA’s forum describes using a Y-DNA test to identify his birth father’s surname after an adoption. Although his father had already died, testing with a son and cousins helped him confirm the family connection.
forums.familytreedna.comSandy and Joe
Welcoming a son found through a DNA match
A FamilyTreeDNA match helped Christian identify Joe as his biological father after years of searching. Joe and his wife Sandy welcomed him into their family, turning an unexpected DNA connection into a reunion and a continuing relationship with relatives.
blog.familytreedna.comSimmone
Finding a new family connection through her father’s DNA
Simmone uploaded her father’s DNA data to FamilyTreeDNA and connected with John, who was also exploring his Korean roots. They met in San Francisco and continued investigating their shared ancestry, gaining a meaningful family connection while researching the exact relationship.
blog.familytreedna.comThings to know
- Extra services depend on the package.
The selected kit has no mandatory renewal; additional tests and upgrades are separate.
- Investigative matching is opt-in.
Investigative genetic genealogy matching requires an opt-in; legal-process disclosures are governed separately.
- An adult manages the account.
An adult manages the account; a parent or guardian may manage a minor’s sample.
Alternatives
African Ancestry · MatriClan
Traces one maternal African lineage rather than using autosomal DNA to find relatives across family lines.
Est. $309
AncestryDNA · AncestryDNA Kit
Another genealogy and relative-matching network, with different family-history tools and database.
$108.95
CRI Genetics · Health + Ancestry
Adds genetic wellness reports alongside ancestry rather than a dedicated Family Finder genealogy purchase.
$109.87
Living DNA · Ancestry
Ancestry-only kit; no health reports.
Est. $99.95FAQs
Is Family Finder a health screen?
No. The selected purchase is for genetic genealogy, ancestry and relative matching. Its raw-data download is not a clinical interpretation service.