MyHeritage DNA or iGene: what is the difference?

How does the DNA test work?

Both DNA tests work in the same way. You order a DNA test, collect a saliva sample in a tube and send it back to the provider. The provider sends the cheek mucus on to a laboratory, where part of your DNA is mapped. After a number of weeks you receive a notification that the analyses are ready and you can view the results.

What kind of information do you get?

The most important difference between MyHeritage DNA and iGene is the focus of the DNA test. MyHeritage DNA focuses on your possible origins and DNA matching with relatives. iGene gives you information about your hereditary predisposition to certain conditions; on the basis of that you receive personal lifestyle advice. With iGene you also get a so-called pharmacogenetic passport, which lets you see how things stand with your sensitivity to certain medicines.

1. Estimate of your ethnic origin

MyHeritage DNA gives estimates of the ethnic region your ancestors probably come from. For this, the company has divided the world into 42 regions. The Netherlands is not included as a separate ethnic region, but falls under Northern and Western Europe; together with, among others, Germany and France.

iGene does not currently make any statements about your possible ethnic origin. Should this change in the future, your iGene Passport will be updated for this. (Sign up for the newsletter at the bottom of the page to stay informed.)

2. DNA matching with (distant) relatives**

In addition to an indication of your ethnic origin, MyHeritage DNA also offers the option of ‘DNA matching’. This gives you the opportunity to contact other users whose DNA overlaps with your DNA to a certain extent, and who may therefore be (distant) relatives.

iGene does not provide its users with information about other users. iGene would not even be able to do so, because the DNA data is completely separated from your name. iGene does this to safeguard the anonymity and privacy of users.

3. Information about health risks

MyHeritage DNA does not provide information about health risks. The company offers users the opportunity to share health information about relatives, but with its DNA test it does not give insight into personal risks of various conditions.

iGene, by contrast, gives information about your genetic predisposition to a number of common conditions*. *These are conditions in which, besides DNA, lifestyle also plays a role (and therefore the possibilities for prevention).

iGene offers insight into the risks you run on the basis of your genes and compares these with the average risk. These personal and average risks are also expressed in absolute percentages, which makes it easier for you to interpret the meaning of an ‘increased’ or ‘reduced’ risk.

4. Lifestyle advice

In addition to an indication of your personal health risks, iGene also gives prevention information. This lifestyle advice is ordered by personal relevance, so that you know which healthy behaviour benefits you the most as a user. Via a messaging service you receive a personal tip every now and then that you can use to your advantage. iGene also regularly makes updates in response to new scientific developments.

MyHeritage DNA does not give lifestyle advice.

5. Information about your sensitivity to certain medicines

MyHeritage DNA does not give information about sensitivity to medicines either.

iGene does, in the form of a so-called pharmacogenetic passport. In it you can see for which medicines you might be better off being prescribed an alternative dose (or even a different medicine) in order to prevent side effects.

Your genes make it possible to see whether the activity of certain enzymes deviates, as a result of which some medicines may be processed more quickly or more slowly by your body.

What about safety?

Both iGene and MyHeritage DNA ensure that the user remains the owner of the genetic data and is the only one with access to this data. Neither party shares data with third parties and both secure your data well.

iGene stores DNA data separately from your contact details and cannot see which DNA data belongs to which users. MyHeritage DNA does make that link, in order to be able to provide services such as DNA matching. You can, incidentally, switch off DNA matching and other DNA-related services at MyHeritage DNA in the privacy preferences.

After the data breach that MyHeritage DNA experienced in June 2018, the company tightened its login procedure and introduced two-step verification on its website. MyHeritage DNA uses users’ data in anonymised form for research, provided the user gives permission for this.

Where is the company based?

For its DNA analyses, MyHeritage DNA uses a laboratory in Texas, in the United States. The company’s head office is in Israel. MyHeritage has distribution centres in the United States, and recently in Europe as well.

iGene is based in the Netherlands. The DNA testing is also carried out in the Netherlands, in the research lab of a University Medical Centre. The analysis of the data takes place in Germany.

What does a DNA test cost?

An iGene DNA test costs €339 as a one-off. All functions are included in this one-off access price: insight into your genetic predisposition to certain diseases, lifestyle advice, pharmacogenetic information and the messaging service. You can also receive the raw data of your DNA analysis as a txt file. Personal traits such as sensitivity to caffeine will soon be added as well.

The MyHeritage DNA kit is already available for € 79. If you do not take a paid subscription, however, you can only use the basic functions. For example, you can add a maximum of 250 people to your family tree.

Do you want to add more people to your family tree? Or access to advanced DNA functions? Then with MyHeritage DNA you need a premium or premium plus subscription. These subscriptions cost € 72.60 and € 129.95 per year respectively (or € 167.36 to also get access to historical records). These annual amounts come on top of the one-off purchase price.

Conclusion

Are you interested in your possible geographical origins? Or looking for distant relatives? Then the Israeli company MyHeritage DNA offers you the most suitable service. Are you more interested in hereditary conditions, and do you want to know how you yourself can contribute to preventing them? Or do you want insight into your personal sensitivity to medicines? Then iGene, which is based in the Netherlands, is a better option.

Precisely because the companies provide information about different genetic aspects, the two services complement each other well, incidentally. So if you are interested in your origins as well as in your predisposition to hereditary conditions and your personal sensitivity to medicines? Then it can certainly be worth buying both DNA tests.

Both companies secure the DNA data they process in a good way. iGene also ensures that DNA data cannot be linked to the name of the owner.

Finally, the costs. With MyHeritage DNA you are cheaper off for the basic service than with iGene. To get broader access to all available functions, however, you have to pay subscription costs with MyHeritage DNA. Depending on the length and type of subscription you would choose, you are therefore quickly better off with iGene, which only charges a one-off purchase price.