A raw DNA file is worth more than the report it came with. The testing company read your genome once; every site in this guide reads that same file again and returns something the first company did not: relatives from another database, a comparison with ancient genomes, a different calculator, a health screen. "Free DNA upload sites" is the search term, but free is the wrong axis to sort on, because the sites that are free for one thing charge for another. This guide sorts by what you get back. I run one of the sites listed, Ancestrify, so every third-party entry is limited to what was readable on that site on 2026-09-15, with "not stated on their site" where a fact was missing, and every price is as listed on their site on that date. How to get the file in the first place is covered in how to download your raw DNA data.
Matching relatives#
These sites compare your file with other people's files. The value is the size of the database, and the upload is free because your kit makes the database bigger.
GEDmatch. Free upload from all major testing companies, with One-to-Many comparison against everyone on the site, One-to-One comparison and admixture calculators. Its paid Tier 1 tools were listed on their blog at 15 USD per month or 150 USD per year for new subscribers from 1 September 2026 (as listed on their site on 2026-09-15). No ancient DNA comparison is offered. The Ancestrify vs GEDmatch page has the cell-by-cell version.
FamilyTreeDNA (autosomal transfer). Free upload of AncestryDNA, 23andMe and MyHeritage files, with DNA matches and the Family Finder Matrix at no cost. An unlock listed at 19 USD (as listed on their site on 2026-09-15) adds myOrigins, the Chromosome Painter and Browser, an intermediate Y haplogroup and ancientOrigins, their deep-ancestry feature. Accepted file versions are itemised: AncestryDNA V1 and V2, 23andMe V3 to V5, MyHeritage Array V2. Their help centre notes that transferred data cannot be downloaded again from FamilyTreeDNA.
MyHeritage (upload). This entry is here because every older list has it, and it has changed: MyHeritage's help centre states, in an article dated 22 July 2026, that DNA uploads are no longer supported and that a MyHeritage DNA kit is now required for matches and ethnicity reports. If you uploaded in the past, their Ancient Origins feature (covered below) was described at launch as available to past uploaders.
Living DNA. Free upload of AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA Family Finder, Gene by Gene and Genographic files in TXT, CSV, ZIP or GZ form. The free result is a continental breakdown across 8 regions, described as available for a limited time, plus Family Matching; a paid upgrade unlocks the full regional breakdown (price not stated on the upload page). Their FAQ states that uploads cannot be upgraded to the deep-ancestry report. ISO 27001 and GDPR compliance and full deletion are stated.
Ancient DNA and deep ancestry#
These sites compare your file with published ancient genomes rather than with other customers. The question they answer is "which ancient populations does my genome resemble", and the ancient ancestry test explainer covers what that question can and cannot mean.
Ancestrify. Three one-time analyses on the raw file: a qpAdm model composed, run and checked by a person, published with its p-value, every source's standard error and z-score and the full right set, from 29.99 EUR; a Global25 analysis at 29.99 EUR on the official coordinate row, which Ancestrify never computes itself (the row is pasted, or obtained from Davidski's independent g25requests.app service through the 15 EUR Coordinate Concierge add-on); and Ancient Matches at 29.99 EUR, the individual ancient people you share stretches of DNA with, evidence shown per match. Files from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, Living DNA and tellmeGen are accepted, and a whole-genome VCF up to 1 GB for a 10 EUR add-on. No subscription, no app, EU hosting under GDPR, self-service deletion.
MyTrueAncestry. Compares an uploaded file with ancient civilizations (185 on their home page) and ancient samples. A free Commoner level covers 10 ancient samples and one kit; paid levels run from Footman at 37 USD to Enlightenment at 844 USD base cost, each adding samples, maps and kits (as listed on their site on 2026-09-15). Supported providers named: AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, DanteLabs. MyTrueAncestry AG, Switzerland.
Illustrative DNA. DeepAncestry projects your file into a PCA-based coordinate space and reports distances to 585 ancient populations (3,578 samples) and 632 modern ones across six periods, with two and three-way mixture fits, PCA and clustering; AdmixLab is a do-it-yourself qpAdm environment. Prices: not stated on the pages read. HaploMapper, a haplogroup predictor, is free. Comparison: Ancestrify vs Illustrative DNA.
DNAGENICS. One-time packs with lifetime access: Starter listed at 90 EUR and shown at 59 EUR, Explorer 140 EUR shown at 91 EUR, Ultimate 160 EUR shown at 104 EUR (as listed on their site on 2026-09-15). Reports run against a database described as 9,000+ ancient samples from 3,000+ sites, including ancient individual matches; G25 coordinates in their own space are included. Free to start, EU-hosted and GDPR compliant by their banner, deletion at any time. Comparison: Ancestrify vs DNA Genics.
Genomelink (Ancient Ancestry). A free upload with 100 free traits; the Ancient Ancestry report returns fractions attributable to hunter-gatherers, first farmers, steppe pastoralists, Indigenous Americans, West African, East Asian and South Asian ancestry, using an algorithm their page credits to a team led by Carlos Bustamante. A free Ancient Ancestry report is offered as a limited-time promotion for new users; individual report prices were not stated on the pages read.
MyHeritage Ancient Origins. Not an upload site any more, but the feature exists for MyHeritage DNA customers: a premium feature requiring a Complete or Omni subscription, built on a partnership with Illustrative DNA, comparing DNA with ancient populations from the Neolithic through the late Middle Ages, and since May 2026 with 32 notable individuals.
Admixture calculators#
Genoplot. A free tier with 100 compute credits, 500+ admixture and G25 calculators, PCA, nMonte modelling and a G25 coordinate simulation; Basic at 35 USD per year (listed at 50 USD) and Pro at 54 USD per year (listed at 90 USD) add credits, saved models and qpAdm (as listed on their site on 2026-09-15). Uploads from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, FTDNA and MyHeritage. Hosting: not stated on their site. Comparison: Ancestrify vs Genoplot.
The classic GEDmatch calculators belong here too, and the free GEDmatch alternatives guide explains why their references stopped in the mid-2010s. If you already hold an official Global25 row, the Lab admixture calculator fits it against dated ancient panels with no upload.
Health#
One line each, because health is a different decision. Promethease builds a literature report from SNPedia for a file from 23andMe, Ancestry, FamilyTreeDNA or Genos, most reports at 25 USD in under ten minutes, emailed and not stored (as listed on their site on 2026-09-15); it is owned by MyHeritage. Genetic Genie describes itself as free raw-data analysis tools for health-related variants from 23andMe, AncestryDNA or whole-genome data; its home page rendered almost nothing to a non-browser client, so prices are not stated on the page as served. Sequencing.com sells 30x whole-genome sequencing (a bundle listed at 999 USD and shown at 399 USD on 2026-09-15) with health reports and an optional subscription, and accepts existing DNA data uploads; ancient DNA analysis is not stated on their home page.
Free tools that need no purchase#
Before you upload anywhere, the file check reads the file in your browser session, reports the format, chip generation and usable markers, and tells you whether the kit is fit for an ancient-DNA analysis, free and without an account. The Clade Finder and mtDNA finder return the paternal and maternal haplogroups from the same file with a free account, and the file is discarded after the run. Illustrative DNA's HaploMapper, DNAGENICS' free tier and Genomelink's free traits are the other no-payment starts on this list.
Side by side#
| Site | Free tier | What you get back | Ancient DNA | Price as listed on 2026-09-15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEDmatch | Yes | Matches, comparisons, classic calculators | No | Tier 1 15 USD per month or 150 USD per year |
| FamilyTreeDNA transfer | Yes | Matches, Family Finder Matrix | Yes, ancientOrigins after unlock | 19 USD unlock |
| MyHeritage | No upload since July 2026 | Kit customers: matches, Ancient Origins | Yes, subscription feature | Not applicable to uploads |
| Living DNA | Yes | Continental breakdown, Family Matching | No for uploads | Upgrade price not stated |
| Ancestrify | Yes, Lab tools | qpAdm with p-value, Global25, Ancient Matches | Yes | 29.99 EUR per analysis, one-time |
| MyTrueAncestry | Yes, Commoner | Civilization and sample comparisons | Yes | 37 to 844 USD by level |
| Illustrative DNA | HaploMapper | DeepAncestry, AdmixLab | Yes | Not stated |
| DNAGENICS | Yes | 500+ reports, G25 tools, ancient matches | Yes | 59 to 104 EUR packs |
| Genomelink | Yes, 100 traits | Ancient Ancestry and other reports | Yes | Report prices not stated |
| Genoplot | Yes, 100 credits | Calculators, nMonte, qpAdm on paid tiers | Calculators only | 35 or 54 USD per year |
| Promethease | No | SNPedia health report | No | 25 USD |
| Genetic Genie | Yes | Health-variant panels | No | Not stated on page as served |
| Sequencing.com | Upload accepted | Health reports, WGS | Not stated | 399 USD bundle |
Privacy: what to check before you upload#
A raw file identifies you and your relatives for as long as it exists, so the questions to ask a site are practical ones. Where is the file hosted, and under which law? Ancestrify's servers are in Germany and Finland under GDPR; DNAGENICS and Living DNA state EU hosting or GDPR compliance; GEDmatch, Genoplot and MyTrueAncestry do not state a server location on the pages read. Can you delete the file yourself, and does the site say what deletion covers? Is the file compared with other customers (a matching database) or only with published reference data? AncestryDNA's own help page recommends checking for a privacy policy, a deletion option and an SSL-protected site before uploading anywhere, which is fair advice for every entry above. And keep the original file offline: several vendors issue download links that expire, and FamilyTreeDNA will not return a transferred file.
Frequently asked questions#
Where can I upload my raw DNA for free?#
For relative matching: GEDmatch, FamilyTreeDNA's autosomal transfer and Living DNA all accept a file at no cost, with paid unlocks for their analysis features. For ancient-ancestry analysis, the free entries are partial: MyTrueAncestry's Commoner level, DNAGENICS' free tier, Genomelink's free traits and Ancestrify's Lab file check and haplogroup finders. A full ancient-DNA analysis with published statistics is paid everywhere.
Is it safe to upload raw DNA data?#
It is as safe as the site's hosting, deletion policy and matching model make it. Prefer a site that states where the file lives, lets you delete it yourself and does not compare you with other customers unless that is the service you want. Keep your own copy offline, and never upload someone else's file without their consent.
Which site is best for ancient ancestry?#
For a formal model that can be wrong, with the p-value, standard errors and the full right set published and a person checking it, Ancestrify's qpAdm analysis from 29.99 EUR. For a free first look at civilization similarity, MyTrueAncestry's Commoner level. For hundreds of reports for one payment, DNAGENICS. The best ancient DNA test guide compares them criterion by criterion.
Can I upload 23andMe data to AncestryDNA?#
No. AncestryDNA's help centre states that DNA data from other websites cannot be uploaded to Ancestry. The reverse direction works at the sites above: an AncestryDNA file uploads to GEDmatch, FamilyTreeDNA, Living DNA and every analysis site in this guide.
Terms used here are defined in the glossary.
