10 Free Ancestry Raw DNA & GEDCOM Upload Sites: Genealogical Research with DNA
DNA geek here. In my last post, I talked about the many uses for your raw DNA data that you got through testing with 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage and other genetic DNA testing companies. Those use cases include genetic insights for fitness, romance, personalized goods, medical risks, etc.
In this 2nd post, I’m focusing on genealogy, family research and ancestry applications for your raw DNA data. So if tracing your lineage and building family trees is a hobby you have or you’re looking to get into, read on for a list of free Ancestry DNA websites and resources that will help bring you closer to the lives of your ancestors!
I’ve separated the post into websites/services that accept uploads of your DNA raw data, those that don't, and some others that accept other types of data. Personally, I prefer the ones that allow data uploads, since who wants to pay for another genetic DNA testing kit and/or wait a couple of weeks to see the DNA analysis results?
Accepts raw DNA data uploads
- Family Tree DNA — Free DNA upload site
- MyHeritage — Free DNA upload site
- LivingDNA / Find My Past — Free DNA upload site
- GEDmatch — Free DNA upload site
- GPS Origins (Home DNA)
- Vitagene
Popular sites for genealogical research that accepts other data uploads (not raw DNA)
- DNA Gedcom — Free
- DNA Painter — Free
- WikiTree — Free
Do Not Accept Raw DNA Data Uploads
Accept Raw Data Uploads
1. Family Tree DNA (FTDNA)
Price: Free
Accepts raw data from: AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage
Has its own DNA test: Yes. $59-$199
What’s cool:
Their myOrigins feature is similar to the ethnic and geographic breakdown you can get on AncestryDNA and 23andMe. The “accuracy” depends on the reference populations that their DNA analysis draws on — it may be more “accurate” for people with certain ethnic roots over others. See our article about the best dna test for ethnicity if this is important to you.
What’s really interesting is their AncientOrigins feature, a latest addition to their Family Finder. It allows you to compare your DNA to the DNA dug up from archeological sites throughout Europe. With this, you can see how much DNA you share with humans who lived long ago!
If you have your family tree created or uploaded to FTDNA, the Family Matcher feature, besides locating DNA matches, also labels them as paternal or maternal for you so you can view, sort and compare the matches with more clarity.
2. MyHeritage
Price: Free
Accepts raw data from: AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, 23andMe, LivingDNA.
Has its own DNA test: Yes. $59-$79.
What’s cool:
MyHeritage is one of the few DNA testing companies that accepts raw data uploads from other companies, so if you haven’t gotten any DNA matches on other sites yet, it won’t hurt to try looking on MyHeritage. An important distinction between MyHeritage and other major DNA testing companies (AncestryDNA, 23andMe, FTDNA) is that its main customer base is European. What this means is that you may have a higher chance of matching with living relatives from Europe by uploading and searching through their database.
Receiving DNA matches on MyHeritage and communicating with them is free. However, other features like Chromosome Browser and Ethnicity Estimate come at an extra cost.
Geni, a MyHeritage company, is like the WikiTree of MyHeritage. While MyHeritage focuses on private family trees and its historical records database, Geni is a place to build out 1 family tree for all of humanity and visualize how we’re all connected. 100+ million people connected on Geni to date…! You can upload your existing raw data or get tested through Geni to verify your DNA matches while growing your tree.
3. LivingDNA / Find My Past
Price: Free
Accepts raw data from: AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage and Family Tree DNA
Has its own DNA test: Yes. $99
What’s cool:
If you’re British or of British descent, you’re in luck! Living DNA, a British testing company, has 21 sub-regional breakdowns within the British Isles alone. You’ll get a very granular idea of the geographic area your ancestors occupied. The Relative Finder feature is powerful — it can match you with relatives of up to 13 degrees of relatedness. At that point, you may share no DNA with them at all! Similar to GPS Origins, LivingDNA will provide historical context for how your ancestors migrated at different points in history.
If you already have a family tree built on another site, but you want to keep expanding your tree on LivingDNA / Find My Past, you can upload your GEDcom data from AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, 23andMe, etc. Additionally, their $19.95/month World Subscription gives you access to their extensive historical records.
4. GEDmatch
Price: Free
Accepts raw data from: AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, MyHeritage, 23andMe, etc.
Has its own DNA test: No.
What’s cool:
The sheer number of people voluntarily uploading and storing their data on GEDmatch virtually guarantees that you’ll at least find some distant relative on the website. Matches’ emails are readily available on the website, so you can go ahead and contact them directly without having to communicate through the platform, as is the case for 23andMe matches, Ancestry matches, etc. If you’ve never used GEDmatch, here are the 2 GEDmatch tools you should get started with.
5. GPS Origins (provided through Home DNA)
Price: $39
Accepts raw data from: AncestryDNA, National Geographic, Family Tree DNA, 23andMe (except 23andMe Version 5 data)
Has its own DNA test: Yes. $199.
What’s cool:
Their tagline, “Pinpoint your Ancestry,” addresses the root desire of amateur and pro genealogists alike. Unlike other genetic testing services that give you broad geographic ranges, GPS Origins may be able to pinpoint your ancestry down to the town or village level. As this is a European-based service, the likelihood of getting a more granular result is highest if you’re from Western Europe.
Besides precise geography, the test also identifies when and where different lineages merged to form different parts of your DNA, including stories of possible reasons of mixtures (war, famine, migration, etc.). This analysis was developed by a leading population geneticist from the University of Sheffield in England.
6. Vitagene
Price: $29
Accepts raw data from: AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, 23andMe
Has its own DNA test: Yes. $79-$169.
What’s cool:
This is mainly for people who only got a DNA test for ancestry purposes. By transferring your autosomal raw DNA data to Vitagene for $29, you’ll get a health report and personal action plan for your diet, supplementation, skin and fitness. Besides the report, you could also order pharma-grade quality supplements they recommend in the report through them. If you're looking for more non-ancestry uses of your raw DNA data, check out this list we compiled.
Popular Sites For Genealogical Research That Accept Other Data Uploads (Not Raw DNA)
1. WikiTree
Price: Free
Accepts: GEDCOM files
Has its own DNA test: No
What’s cool:
Their mission — to "grow an accurate single family tree that connects us all and is freely available to us all.”
I love that concept. Think of all the fragmented family trees existing in isolated accounts on AncestryDNA, FTDNA and other family tree websites. If they could all be combined and linked up into one tree, wouldn’t that simple visual of a connected species breed more solidarity and empathy among all humans? Of course, privacy / data security is an issue here, but don’t worry. WikiTree has 7 levels of privacy settings, from “unlisted” to “public,” allowing you full control of what and how much you share with anyone on the platform.
This is a completely grassroots effort from genealogists. WikiTree regularly hosts challenges that engage genealogists to clean up the existing tree data.
If you want, you can add your GEDmatch ID to your DNA Test page in WikiTree. By doing so, matching relatives on GEDmatch can see your ancestral tree in WikiTree.
2. DNA Painter
Price: Free
Accepts: data on matching segments from GEDmatch, MyHeritage, 23andMe, FTDNA
Has its own DNA test: No
What’s cool:
Chromosome Mapping — Paint your DNA with distinct colors that represent the parts of your chromosomes you share with distinct family members. For example, in the image below, the yellow segments represent the DNA stretches you share with Grandfather Carl.
The method to get the data into DNA Painter is different for each company, so check the instructions for the company you did your DNA test with here.
3. DNA Gedcom
Price: Free
Accepts: GEDcom data from AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, 23andMe
Has its own DNA test: No
What’s cool:
Use DNA Gedcom to work many tools on your match comparison results that you got from GEDmatch, Ancestry, 23andMe, etc. What’s free? The autosomal DNA segment analyzer function. You can compare the DNA segments shared between everyone you matched with, so you can get an idea of everyone’s relationship to each other. (This automated triangulation feature is now available on 23andMe.) Another main feature is the tree comparison, which you can do by paying a subscription fee to download the GWorks software to your computer.
Doesn't accept raw DNA data uploads
1. National Geographic Geno 2.0
DNA test price: $99.95
What’s cool:
Fascinated by the history of our species? National Geographic’s DNA test helps you zoom out and understand the bigger picture of your history from 200,000 years ago to the present day. This is the best test to gain insight on how your ancestors populated the earth and migrated, on an anthropological, rather than a genealogical, scale. It is highly recommended for natural scientists and genealogists who are not just interested in their recent family history. Bonus: see whether you’re related to any “geniuses” in the Genius Matches section.
And that's a wrap! I hope you learned about a new free ancestry DNA test site you're interested in trying on this list. Please share this article if you know anyone who wants to upload DNA to an ancestry test site!
In Summary: Free Ancestry Raw DNA & GEDCOM Upload Sites
As we just learned, there are a number of websites out there that currently offer free ancestry research services and information. Some of them even allow you to upload your raw DNA data to deepen your search and get you additional insights that will help you develop your full ancestry story. Free DNA upload sites are excellent tools for anyone who is looking to learn more about their family and genetic history.
First, we looked at 6 sites that serve as free raw dna upload sites: Family Tree DNA, MyHeritage, Living DNA/Find My Past, GEDmatch, GPS Origins (Home DNA), and Vitagene. One interesting feature of these sites is that, while they will accept your existing raw DNA data, five of them also offer their own DNA testing, which you can purchase with fees ranging from $59 to $199. It’s important to note that GEDmatch does not currently offer its own DNA testing - it only accepts raw data from other services. We also explored sites that accept other data uploads (like GEDCOM files), and sites that don’t accept raw DNA uploads, but instead offer their own DNA testing services.
Free sites to upload raw DNA data let you explore a number of aspects of your ancestry and family history. For example, if you think you have British ancestry, Living DNA/Find My Past is a UK-based company that tracks 21 sub-regional breakdowns within the British Isles alone, so you get a granular look at that aspect of your ancestry. At Vitagene, you can get a DNA-specific health report and personal action plan for your diet, supplements, skin care and fitness. Looking at National Geographic's Geno 2.0, which doesn’t accept raw DNA data updates, but does offer its own DNA test, will give you close up look at the history of our species, with insights into how your ancestors populated the earth and migrated, on an anthropological, rather than a genealogical, scale.
There are a number of questions you should ask yourself when you’re deciding which free dna sites are right for you. The first question is, “Do I need DNA data, or do I already have raw data that I can upload?” If you need DNA data, you might want to select a site that offers its own testing. Or, you could use a DNA testing service like 23andMe or AncestryDNA. Another question is, “What kind of information and/or insights am I looking to get out of my ancestry research?” If there’s an aspect that’s most important to you (a specific ethnic group, a more historical view, health and fitness insights), you’ll want to look for a site offering that specific information.
Like some of the sites noted above, Genomelink accepts raw DNA data from genetic testing services like MyAncestry, 23andMe, and MyHeritage. Go beyond ancestry with our unique analyses not available anywhere else, and see what makes Genomelink one of the best free sites to upload raw DNA data. Get started for FREE today to discover where in the world your ancestry will take you.
