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GPS Origins DNA Tests Review (2023)

Trace Your Ancestral Roots with GPS-Precise DNA Insights
By Lance Cothern;By Lance Cothern - Daniel Blechynden Daniel Blechynden -
Last Updated: Sep 25, 2023
logo-GPS ORIGINS
Visit Site
Price
$149/kit
Results in
4 to 6 weeks
Collection method
Cheek swabs

Is GPS Origins Worth It? 

GPS Origins DNA tests revolutionized the DNA testing industry. Since entering the market in 1995, GPS Origins has taken ancestral genealogy to the next level. Unlike most other DNA tests, GPS Origins has the technology to pinpoint the precise location of where your DNA stems from, not just the general region. With this technology, GPS Origins is able to track your DNA back, up to 1,000 years ago, to the exact village where your ancestors lived.

Price
$149/kit
Results in
4 to 6 weeks
Collection method
Cheek swabs

GPS Origins Pros & Cons

PROS

Report delivers pinpoint accuracy
Migration history covers thousands of years

CONS

Slightly more expensive at $149
Fairly basic for the cost

Top GPS Origins Reviews

Gl
Glenn
, NJ
it is an extremely good product that I would have given a higher rating to but it is too expensive for a simple DNA test.
An
Angelika
, VA
They got me the information that I needed in a short period of time and was actually a decent price
Ra
Rafael
, CA
OK. This was the best experience that I've had with a genetics website before this there was no other company that I would have used
See all GPS Origins reviews

How do I know I can trust this GPS Origins review?

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GPS Origins GPS Origins Visit Site


GPS Origins offers a compelling DNA kit and deep ancestry report for genealogists who want to delve back many generations before family records were kept. Its report gives customers a very detailed migration route that their ancestors took from a point of origin to more recent times. This test does not provide the standard ethnicity mix that comes with many autosomal DNA tests. Rather it looks at where ancestors lived, and then moved, hundreds of generations ago. The GPS Origins report gives customers actual village or town names along a migration path, where ancestors once lived.

More About GPS Origins

The DNA test kit marketed by GPS Origins provides a longer and deeper genetic history than other kits that focus only on providing a person’s ethnicity percentages. GPS Origins delivers deep ancestry, looking at genetic markers to estimate ethnic origins going back thousands of years, and mapping out two migration routes that ancestors followed. It does not trace history as deeply as some tests on the market, but it gives pinpoint geographic accuracy to show where each person’s ancestors lived at various times in history.

HomeDNA was launched in 2016 as a stand-alone brand offering a unique type of genetic testing for genealogy. In 2017, it became part of GPS Origins, a website offering a suite of DNA test products related to paternity, health and pet-breed identification. GPS Origins is based on the research of Dr. Eran Elhaik and a team at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. 

The test uses some 800,000 genetic markers from 862 reference populations to determine the origin of a person’s DNA, down to a specific village or region. The service was launched in 2016 through a stand-alone web site, but in 2017 GPS origins became part of GPS Origins, which also sells genetic tests for skin care, healthy weight, joint care, determination of paternity, and dog-breed identification.

The laboratory work is done by DNA Diagnostics Center of Fairfield, Ohio. The company did not explain the change to GPS Origins, causing some confusion when we retrieved our results. The website and most of the marketing materials were different than when the original kit was purchased. The site is so new that on our visit there was just one customer rating for the GPS Origins product — and that was written by an employee of the company that developed the test. GPS Origins’ Twitter feed did not yet have any activity when we visited.

Ideal For

  • Genealogists tracing family history

  • Those seeking a deeper personal genetic history

  • Supplementing other types of DNA tests


Why Go With GPS Origin

A key benefit of using GPS Origins is seeing where your DNA originated. In my case, the DNA origin point was listed as near Vyshny Volochok, Russia, sometime prior to 1277 BC. The report offered 2 DNA migration paths meant to represent movement of maternal and paternal ancestors. 

One moved from Russia to the Czech Republic and ended at Palma de Mallorca, Spain, as late as 311 BC. The other path went from Russia to near Kalisz, Poland, and ended at Roanne, France, as late as 1095 AD. This kind of precision is very intriguing, assuming the science behind it is correct. As with other deep-ancestry kits, these results predate the availability of most genealogy research data, so they can provide some surprising additions to the family story.

What GPS Origins Offers

  • Deep ancestry tracing hundreds of generations
  • A testing algorithm plotting migration paths to local level
  • Color-coded maps showing top 3 gene pools
  • Detailed chart showing all ethnic groupings
  • Good historical background on regions and time periods
  • A report useful for everyone from layperson to expert


GPS Origins has a different mindset from other types of genealogy DNA tests. The focus is less on ethnic groups or racial lines and more on where different populations gathered to form an individual’s DNA. In addition to the location-specific migration paths, the GPS Origins report includes a full breakdown of each person’s gene pool. In our case, the top 3 gene pools were Fennoscandia (22.4%), Southern France (21.1%) and the Orkney Islands (13.2%). These group designations were different than those used on other DNA tests. Each of the top 3 gene pools included a history article with background on the peoples that comprised them. An accompanying chart included 8 other gene pools, from Basque Country (12.2%) down to Northern India (0.1%).

The GPS Origins report includes a chart with breakdown of all gene pools in your DNA.

DNA Test Type

The GPS Origins test uses autosomal (family) DNA for its analysis and report. In our case, the lab examined nearly 730,000 autosomal “markers” or mutations on the chromosomes and compared them with markers in the gene pools of reference populations in the GPS Origins database. By looking at where and when our DNA last changed, GPS Origins was able to provide the breakdown of gene-pool populations and the map of how ancestors migrated.

Report Features

  • Color-coded maps for top 3 gene pools
  • Background articles on top 3 gene pools
  • Chart with breakdown of all gene pools
  • Migration paths of ancestors
  • Google-style zoomable map with pinpoint locations for migration paths
  • Background articles for each migration path
  • Downloadable DNA file that can be used with other DNA services

How GPS Origins Works

DNA Collection Kit

Compared to other DNA collection kits we’ve encountered, the GPS Origins kit was incredibly basic. When it arrived, the “package” almost looked like a junk-mail brochure. There was no box or appreciable marketing presentation; just some test swabs wrapped in a brochure. Given the kit’s $149 price, this was rather surprising. The kit included 4 cheek swabs, but no vials in which to secure them. In fact, we were instructed to put all 4 completed swabs into the included paper envelope together. Cross-contamination was apparently not a concern for the lab.

 The instructions said to seal the return envelope with tape and not to lick the flap, yet the flap contained gum adhesive of the type you lick. This seemed unnecessarily confusing. There was no kit activation or advance registration; GPS Origins used information provided at purchase to identify the returned DNA sample. Again, this was confusing, so we contacted customer service to confirm the small barcode on the kit would indeed link to our name and contact information.

Speed of Kit Delivery and Results

GPS Origins advertises a 4- to 6-week turnaround time once it receives a completed DNA test kit. This is quicker than for some competing kits. Some users online reported receiving results in as little as 10 days, which could be due to GPS Origins using its own laboratory for DNA processing.

GPS Origins Customer Support

Customer support is an important resource, especially when so many purchasers of DNA kits are new to genetic genealogy. We found GPS Origins customer service quick and responsive (replied within a day) with the one question we submitted regarding kit registration.

Physical Address

DNA Diagnostics Center

1 DDC Way

Fairfield, OH 45014

Contact Details

Phone: (800) 281-2916

Email: customersupport@homedna.com

GPS Origins Pricing

Regular price for the GPS Origins DNA kit is $149, although the company does offer promotions that cut the price by $50 or more. Consumers have the option of uploading a DNA file from another vendor for analysis using the GPS Origins algorithm. That option costs $79.

GPS Origins GPS Origins Visit Site

Bottom Line  

GPS Origins offers a compelling DNA kit and deep ancestry report for genealogists who want to delve back many generations before family records were kept. Its report gives customers a very detailed migration route that their ancestors took from a point of origin to more recent times. This test does not provide the standard ethnicity mix that comes with many autosomal DNA tests. Rather it looks at where ancestors lived, and then moved, hundreds of generations ago. The GPS Origins report gives customers actual village or town names along a migration path, where ancestors once lived.

Lance writes for Top10.com and is a finance blogger and founder of MoneyManifesto.com. He holds a Certified Public Accountant license issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia. His work has appeared in USA Today, MSN, Wells Fargo, Business Insider, Credit Karma, and LendingTree.

GPS Origins customer reviews

Based on 19 reviews

Ease of use

Brand satisfaction

Value for money

Service quality

Top Reviews

Ease of use

Brand satisfaction

Value for money

Service quality

3 years ago

it is an extremely good product that I would have given a higher rating to but it is too expensive for a simple DNA test.

3 years ago

They got me the information that I needed in a short period of time and was actually a decent price

3 years ago

OK. This was the best experience that I've had with a genetics website before this there was no other company that I would have used

3 years ago

We got the results for my DNA test at a good price. They were pretty interesting and made us reconsider where some family members were from

3 years ago

The service is friendly and efficient, as well as the brand itself. I got my results in a timely manner.

3 years ago

It's a good brand that works well and has good support as well when you need it that works well

3 years ago

It was an easy to understand and follow directions and the customer service was exceptional. The results came promptly.

3 years ago

Wish that the explanation of the test results was more comprehensive. Still, I did gain a good deal of new information from the testing which informed my next steps in my personal research.

3 years ago

I found that it was fun and very easy to use. I enjoyed the service but I am not sure it is accurate, as some of the results conflicted with stories from my grandfather.

3 years ago

It was suggested to me by a close friend who currently uses it. I figured I would test it out for myself. Results were pretty interesting

3 years ago

I like it because it's easy to use. The other reason I like it is because I got good experience with their customer service. They solved a problem quickly.

3 years ago

Easy of use integration is easy and very subtle. I like their services especially the customer service

3 years ago

Overall, I enjoyed using GPSorigins services. It helped me clear up questions that I had about genetics and history.

3 years ago

They have great service. They also have a were friendly. My results were a little confusing, but I believe they are correct.

3 years ago

Easy to use and the customer service is friendly with all my questions. The result is cool to have and privacy policy is reliable. I trust it.

3 years ago

They were very helpful and did their best to help me. They were effective and efficient. Thank you for the results.

3 years ago

They are a good reliable business. They have never made many mistakes with my information. I trust them.

3 years ago

I gave this rating because GPSorigins is worth the price.

3 years ago

I think it needs a little more improvement. It took a little while and I didn't learn anything new from the results

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