Living DNA Family Networks vs. The Competition: Which Is Best for Finding Relatives?

The journey to uncover your family story is deeply personal, and choosing the right DNA testing service is a critical first step. While many services offer relative-finding features, the experience can vary dramatically. Today, we're taking a close look at a key player in the market: Living DNA Family Networks. How does its approach to connecting you with relatives compare to giants like AncestryDNA and 23andMe? At Consumer's Best, we provide the clarity you need to make an informed decision.

Understanding Living DNA Family Networks

Living DNA's Family Networks is an opt-in feature designed to connect you with genetic relatives across their global database. What sets it apart is its fine-scale regional breakdown, particularly for users with British or Irish heritage. This can provide unique context to your matches. The platform estimates your relationship, from immediate family to distant cousins, based on the amount of shared DNA. It presents this information in a clean, straightforward interface, focusing purely on the genetic connections without the extensive family tree integration seen elsewhere.

Comparison with AncestryDNA's DNA Matches

The most significant difference between Living DNA Family Networks and AncestryDNA is the size of the user database. AncestryDNA has the largest commercial database in the world, which statistically increases your chances of finding more relatives, both close and distant. Furthermore, Ancestry's strength lies in its deep integration of DNA results with user-generated family trees. This allows for features like ThruLines®, which can suggest common ancestors, a powerful tool for genealogists. Living DNA's platform is more streamlined, focusing on the raw genetic match list, which may appeal to users less interested in complex genealogical research.

Comparison with 23andMe's DNA Relatives

23andMe also boasts a large database and a robust DNA Relatives tool. Its key differentiator is the inclusion of health and trait reports, which is its primary marketing focus. While its relative finder is effective, it includes features like a visual chromosome browser that may appeal more to advanced users. Living DNA Family Networks, by contrast, maintains a stricter focus on recent ancestry and relative matching. If your primary goal is finding family without the additional layer of health data, Living DNA presents a more focused and potentially less overwhelming experience than 23andMe.

The Consumer's Best Verdict

So, where does Living DNA Family Networks stand? It's a solid, user-friendly tool with exceptional regional detail for certain populations. For individuals just beginning their search or those with deep UK roots, it offers significant value. However, for users whose primary goal is to find the maximum number of relatives and integrate those findings with extensive family trees, the larger databases of competitors currently hold an edge. The 'best' service truly depends on your individual genealogical goals. To see how these services perform in head-to-head testing and discover our top pick for 2024, be sure to read our full, in-depth review of the best DNA testing kits on the market.