MyToolbox Genomics Review: Can this DNA testing help you improve your health?

Did you know that you’re born with every potential version of you already intact? Everything you do in life can impact your genes: what you eat and drink, your work habits, where you live, and all the little choices in between.1 Our everyday actions and interactions turn parts of our genetic code on and off, changing things like the likelihood we’ll develop health concerns that lie in wait or even our life expectancies. But how can you know what you might have in store?

MyToolbox Genomics is a genetic testing service that analyzes both your genetics and the microexpressions of your genes called epigenetics. We tested MyToolbox Genomics ourselves to see what it’s best for – and where it might fall short – to help you decide if their genetic and epigenetic testing is right for you.

MyToolbox Genomics is a fairly affordable DNA and epigenetics testing option when compared to many competitors on the market. The testing process is simple, and the amount of scientific information provided is great for those seeking research-backed ways to improve their lifestyles. We also can appreciate how hands-on the co-founder is with the company and their clients. While epigenetic options are still limited, and navigating the website and app can feel clunky at times, MyToolbox Genomics has set up a great framework for the future.

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has extensively tested each health service and product reviewed to help tens of millions of readers, like you, make more informed choices to live healthier lives.

Our team has spent over 275 hours researching and conducting hands-on testing of MyToolbox Genomics, their competitors, and DNA testing in general to give you an unbiased exploration of your genetic testing options. When evaluating the products and services we encounter, we evaluate them based on adherence to quality, the latest medical research, and current health standards.

Additionally, this review of MyToolbox Genomics, like all health-related content on this website, was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy.

MyToolbox Genomics is a service that provides genomic testing to individuals curious about their own genes. For our evaluation of MyToolbox Genomics, we reviewed their tests’ scientific accuracy, cost, real-life applications, privacy, and customer support. Each of these criteria is important in its own way, and some may mean more to one person than others; someone may care the most about how a company handles their private information, while another may be more concerned about the overall accuracy of test results.

Scientific accuracy

The quality of scientific research behind the testing offered by MyToolbox Genomics is strong. Test results provide dozens of links to real studies that support the claims made about each genotype found. Some of these explanations are a little over-extrapolated — the studies tied to the “workaholic” trait actually are related to obsessive-compulsive disorder, neuroticism, and depressive insomnia, for example — but all have a great grounding in real science. This foundation is likely due to the scientific background of the company’s co-founder.

Here, MyToolbox Genomics has stiff competition; they aren’t the only DNA test on the market to do this. Competing companies Nebula Genomics and InsideTracker also deliver results rooted in thorough scientific research — both support their results with links to a multitude of studies and offer additional tools for you to learn more about your genome.

Cost

As far as genetic tests go, MyToolbox Genomics offers a comprehensive service for a relatively low price. Their DNA test provides more information for less up-front cost than many of their competitors. Plus, no subscription is necessary: the one-time fee gets you access to your information for life. The MyToolbox Genomics app regularly updates with more insights and information, and every update after your purchase is free as well. Nebula Genomics does this as well, but you need to have an active membership.

MyToolbox Genomics’ Epigenetic Test, on the other hand, might be something to hold off on for now. The epigenetics test alone tells you information about five broad categories of traits as compared to people your own age, but not much more. Considering the test costs more than the DNA test on its own, the Epigenetic Test still has room to grow.

InsideTracker’s InnerAge 2.0 also determines your biological age, and (if you don’t mind pricking your finger for a blood test) it’s about $30 less.

Real-life applications

Epigenetics is a fairly new addition to the at-home testing market. The science of understanding them is still new, but MyToolbox Genomics uses a physician-oriented mindset to help explain them and their real-world applications to the general public. It might not be much yet, but they’ve set up a great framework to be even better in the near future as the field grows and evolves.

In the meantime, they have lean offerings of meal plans and exercise strategies based on your genetic results if you get the DNA Test, but neither plan is spectacular or particularly involved. This is similar to InsideTracker’s Action Plans, which set personalized goals based on your results.

Privacy

If you’re worried about your genetic information falling into the wrong hands, MyToolbox Genomics has your back. They adhere to HIPAA standards and use top-notch encryption techniques to safeguard your genetic and personal information, encrypting both any time it enters or leaves their site and using CLIA and CAP-certified labs. Additionally, all of your personal data is separated from your genetic information, so no one can identify you from your DNA. They require your explicit consent to share your data with anyone (with a few legal exceptions), so you can be assured that your genetic information is safe with the team at MyToolbox Genomics.

InsideTracker and Nebula Genomics utilize similar privacy safeguards, including requiring your consent, using encryption, and processing your DNA in CLIA/CAP-certified labs.

All of the companies will disclose your information to law enforcement if absolutely necessary. However, InsideTracker and Nebula both mention that they will provide you with advance notice unless prohibited by law. There isn’t any information about a prior notice from MyToolbox Genomics in their privacy policy at this time.

Customer support

Although it used to be difficult to find on their site, it’s now much easier to find one of the several ways you can reach out to MyToolbox Genomics’ customer support to get a hand. From chat messages and emails to webinars and live consultations with the company co-founder, there are many opportunities available to get the help you need.

Our testers found email correspondence to be a bit slow at times, but the responses were very helpful, and customer support always brought useful answers.

No competing company has this same kind of personal touch to their customer service. InsideTracker, for instance, relies on an AI chatbot before you can actually communicate with a human being.

Founded in 2016 by Dr. Erika Gray and Elvina Hewitt, MBA, MyToolbox Genomics is a multi-service genomics company. The company identifies, compares, and correlates your genotypes with known small nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are small mutations that we know correspond with specific health statuses and conditions, to show you what makes you who you are.

Currently, MyToolbox Genomics offers sequencing and interpretation for both genetic and epigenetic information. Both kits will give you:

• A summary of results
• Genes or loci associated with each result
• An easy-to-read breakdown of what the result means
• Suggestions on how your genotype might influence your daily choices
• Scientific studies listed as references

You can get these kits either separately or in a bundle together at a discounted price.

MyToolbox Genomics online reviews

As of this review, MyToolbox Genomics doesn’t have a presence on the Better Business Bureau website. There is a company page on Trustpilot, but it’s currently an unclaimed profile with zero reviews.

Otherwise, the MyToolbox Genomics app on the Google Play store currently has 1,000+ downloads but no reviews. Meanwhile, the iOS version on the Apple App Store has 3.5 out of 5 stars from four total ratings and three reviews. The two 5-star reviews mention loving the information and recommendations provided, while the other lone 1-star review is about a poor customer service experience. All in all, this is an insufficient number of reviews for drawing any conclusions about the service.

MyToolbox Genomics is designed for anyone 18 years of age or older who wants to learn more about their DNA or epigenetic information (or both).

You can test with MyToolbox Genomics regardless of where in the world you live. The one thing to keep in mind is that shipping is only free for those in the U.S. or Canada — international customers will need to pay for both the initial shipping and the return shipping back to MyToolbox Genomics.

The mobile app is required (on a device running Apple iOS 11.0 or later or Android version 6 or later) to take the lifestyle quizzes, but results can still be accessed via a PDF on your computer if you don’t have a smartphone.

Epigenetics is a much newer field than genetics, only becoming a popular topic of research in the 1990s. It is the study of how your behavior and the environment — your choices and lived experiences — influence your genetics.2

It’s easier to think of epigenetics like light switches: they’re small, reversible changes that influence how your body reads genetic code. They don’t alter your genetics themselves. When your body makes proteins, it reads the genetic code; epigenetics are the changes that can tell your body to skip over or add in different parts of the code. Specifically, the body can add or remove chemical groups to the genetic sequence to block or allow the body to read a section of DNA.

There are dozens of ways to alter your epigenetics. This includes everything from aging to what you eat to getting the common cold. It’s thought that type 1 diabetes,3 one of the most inheritable autoimmune diseases, is induced epigenetically after a virus changes the epigenetics for insulin-producing pancreatic cells.4

Many epigenetic changes are reversible. For example, smoking cigarettes with nicotine can block your cells from reading parts of the AHHR gene, one which prevents dioxins (a cancer-causing industrial pollutant) from harming the body as much.5 If you stop smoking, after some time, the AHHR gene can be read like you’ve never smoked, effectively reversing the epigenetic changes.6

MyToolbox Genomics measures your genetics and epigenetics to inform you about genetic variations you have and how your lifestyle choices have impacted the expression of your genes. Currently, they offer two different types of tests: DNA and epigenetics.

Genetic testing

Genetically, MyToolbox Genomics isolates your DNA from saliva. Once they have your DNA isolated, they analyze your nucleotides against well-studied single polymorphism nucleotides (SNPs). SNPs — pronounced like “snips” — are points of common variation in people where our individual traits come from. They are single nucleotide differences, such as a place that would normally have a cytosine (C) replaced by thymine (T).7

We all have hundreds of SNPs in our genetic code; some of these make a difference in how we look or function, while others don’t. For example, a handful of SNPs determine whether or not you like the taste of cilantro.8

MyToolbox Genomics partners with a CLIA- and CAP-certified laboratory that meets all of the gold standards for health and privacy. The researchers in this lab will look at SNPs that they’ve determined have a solid research background and that have been verified against a wide population of people (to avoid telling you information about genes that make a difference in one group of people but might not actually affect you). They use over 1,000 different SNPs in this process to develop your profile.

You won’t have each individual SNP worked out in your profile. While you can reach out to MyToolbox Genomics to get that information, they compile your variations with related SNPs to give you information about traits, such as how caffeine affects your sleep.

Epigenetic testing

Epigenetic testing involves examining the methylation of a gene. Methylation, or the process of attaching methyl groups, is a common form of epigenetic change.9 When methyl groups are present on a gene, it gets “turned off” or silenced (it can’t produce proteins). When methyl groups are not present, the gene is “on” (or allowed to produce proteins).2 9

For example, the DNA of your nerve and muscle cells is the exact same, but different methyl group placements make them function as different types of cells. Turning certain genes on or off allows different cells to do their designated “jobs” correctly.2 DNA methylation is highest when you’re just born, and it decreases as you age.2 10

By looking at the number of methyl groups, MyToolbox Genomics and their partner laboratory can determine whether you have a higher, lower, or average amount of methylation than people your age. This is how they figure out your “biological age” — it’s the amount of methylation you actually have. They do this for a few specific functions as well:

• Sight
• Hearing
• Memory
• Inflammation

MyToolbox Genomics offers three different options to investigate your genetics: a DNA test, an epigenetics test, and a bundle including both tests. The chart below shows what is and isn’t included in each option.

These offerings are similar to those from Nebula Genomics and InsideTracker, though MyToolbox Genomics is often much less expensive overall.

If you’re curious about what your results report from MyToolbox Genomics might look like, there's a page on the website containing a sample (highly condensed) report. The actual results you receive will be around 200 pages or more.

MyToolbox Genomics’ DNA Test is their most comprehensive offering. It catalogs your traits into fifteen major categories with 5-18 traits per category for a grand total of more than 115 individual traits. All of MyToolbox Genomics’ advertising promotes 16 categories, but one of those is a summary of high-scoring and common results.

The 15 major categories are:

Each trait’s page includes:

• The level of risk or response you have
• Associated genes
• An explanation of what the risk or response is measuring
• A fast summary of what your genetic risk means
• Recommendations for moving forward
• A list of scientific references

Of course, this information is great to have on its own, but MyToolbox Genomics wants to take it one step further to help you see an impact on your daily life. They provide three sets of recommendations for you in vitamins to take, foods to eat, and exercises to do based on your genetic results. Competitors InsideTracker and Nebula Genomics also offer plans to improve your health and well-being based on your results.

MyToolbox Genomics’ Epigenetics Test measures the way your DNA expression changes for five different traits:

• Biological age
• Eye age
• Hearing age
• Memory age
• Inflammation score

Each of these separate “ages” tracks the average amount of methylation, or expression, of genes for each category. Biological age, for example, looks at the methylation of genes related to vitamin D, metabolism, and physical ability.

The epigenetics test also reports your local air quality and provides you with an air quality index (AQI) for your geographic location based on location data from your phone. The app provides information for you to better understand how to protect yourself as necessary based on the local AQI. If you have a genotype that is protective or sensitive to pollutant-based carcinogens, it’ll also let you know (no matter what genotype you have) that smoking and smoke-based pollutants can cause damage to your lungs.

While MyToolbox Genomics only measures five traits at this time, they are constantly working to expand and improve upon their database. All updates and additional information using the genetic data they have on hand will be added free of charge. Nebula Genomics offers additional insights and updates as well, as long as you have an active membership.

In total, the MyToolbox Genomics epigenetics-only test costs $279.

If you know you’ll want to test your epigenetics more than once since they change based on your lifestyle and habits, MyToolbox Genomics offers a subscription service for epigenetic testing:

• Test every three months (four times a year) for $195/test or $65/month
• Test every six months (twice a year) for $204/test or $34/month
• Test once a year for $216/test or $18/month

These tests are paid for monthly using a subscription service plan, with free shipping to the U.S. and Canada.

MyToolbox Genomics doesn’t necessarily recommend testing every three months, though, unless you receive a result you’re actively looking to improve on. For most people, they recommend testing every 6-12 months. This is similar to the re-testing recommendations from InsideTracker.

The DNA and epigenetics test combination kit includes the best of both worlds from MyToolbox Genomics. This bundle provides all of your genetic information breakdown, epigenetic markers, and personalized information about how to best improve your health at a discounted price of $299. If you were to buy both packs separately, it would cost $472. Even purchased separately, this is less expensive than getting similar information by purchasing InsideTracker’s InnerAge 2.0 and DNA Kit (both cost $249 for a total of $498).

Normally, you’ll receive your genetic and epigenetic results separately. Genetic results typically arrive in 3-4 weeks; epigenetic results arrive in another 5-6 after your genetic results (8-10 weeks total). However, if you want to receive both sets of results at the same time, there is an option to pay an additional $10 fee at checkout for faster epigenetic test processing.

By comparison, InsideTracker’s DNA Kit takes about 4-6 for results, while Nebula Genomics can take anywhere from 12-14 weeks.

Your genetic results are displayed on individual pages. Each category has multiple genes that they draw influence from, but since the body is created not by individual genes but by their interactions, MyToolbox Genomics’ summary-style pages make sense.

Some of the genes that MyToolbox Genomics analyzes are almost entirely biological in nature. These are the “genetic results.”

Health Insights

Not every piece of genetic information that MyToolbox Genomics examines is directly related to a strictly biological process. Many of them also have psychological, environmental, and choice-influenced elements. These traits, while genetically influenced, are much more susceptible to being “hidden” or not relevant at one moment in time while popping up later.

Since they can’t be guaranteed, these traits are referred to as “health insights.” For instance, you may have inherited a gene that makes you more susceptible to age-related cataracts.20 This doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to develop cataracts, but it could help bring your awareness to the possibility. You might find more relevance in some of these than others.

Epigenetic results

While epigenetic results are difficult to break down because individual methylation varies so intensely, MyToolbox Genomics still has some broad recommendations for people to improve their epigenetic ages.

While it’s interesting to know what you’re genetically predisposed to and how your current actions are influencing your genes, MyToolbox Genomics wants to take that information a step further. In doing so, they’ve worked to create three relatively simple plans to help you live your best life, knowing what you do about your genetic risks and benefits. They can help you pick out the best vitamins, meals, and exercises personalized for your body.

Without having to stray from the genetic results section, you can find a curated list of vitamins that you’re predisposed to having in low levels or at low absorption rates. These are vitamins that you should focus on including in your diet or boosting through supplementation in order to have optimal levels in your body.

Both InsideTracker and Nebula Genomics provide similar recommendations and plans, though InsideTracker’s is closer to MyToolbox Genomics’, while Nebula’s is tailored more around health plans and treatments than foods and exercises.

Meal plan

MyToolbox Genomics also helps you to create a meal plan based on your dietary and nutritional genetic predispositions. You can pick a goal out of four possible:

• Weight loss
• Fitness and endurance
• Build muscle
• Health and well-being

Once you’ve picked your primary goal, they ask how many meals you can realistically eat in a day (from two to six) and your activity level before generating several long lists of foods you can choose from to create a week-long meal plan. Each meal is based on your genetic predispositions to things such as type 2 diabetes, saturated fat response, and tendencies toward intolerances to help you create the healthiest lifestyle aligned with your goal.

As a bonus, each meal plan includes recipes for every food item with a full nutritional breakdown and a “favorites” option, so you don’t have to lose the best-tasting items.

Workout plan

MyToolbox Genomics can help you create a workout plan based on your muscular and nutritional needs, as well as your age, gender, height, and weight. They can help you create a plan for:

• Overall workout
• Warm-up/cool-down
• Injury prevention
• Wellness (coming soon)

Each of these plans includes breakdowns of what exercises you should do and why, how many sets and repetitions of each to do per day, and how many days every week you should do them. The overall workout section includes a full weekly breakdown, complete with rest days.

Virus risk

Recently, MyToolbox Genomics has added a Virus Risk Score calculator to all of their plans that helps you come up with a rough estimate of your risk for contracting — and having serious side effects from — various viruses, including (but not limited to) respiratory viruses and COVID-19.

The Virus Risk Score calculator adds up your lifestyle attributes, inflammatory and immune genetic tendencies, and environmental factors to help you determine your virus susceptibility risk. This number varies constantly. One of our testers saw the number drop from 145 to 102 (from “very high risk” to “high risk”) within a matter of a few hours while staying at home.

Lifestyle tracking

While not currently available, MyToolbox Genomics is working to release lifestyle tracking in the future. This will allow you to retake the lifestyle quiz at different points in time and see how it transforms over time and aligns with your changes in epigenetic results.

Knowing what a company can offer you is great, but what about when you actually order from them or use their products? In this section, we’ll delve into the MyToolbox Genomics customer experience based on our research and our testers’ personal experiences.

Ordering

There aren’t any special requirements to order your home kit from MyToolbox Genomics. They make it easy for you: just click “shop,” add the kit to your cart that you want, confirm your selection, and check out with your mailing address and card information like any other online store. You will need to use a debit or credit card to purchase your kit; they don’t accept alternative methods of payment like G Pay or PayPal.

Currently, MyToolbox Genomics can’t accept insurance payments, but their products are HSA/FSA eligible. After purchasing your kit, just reach out to customer service and they’ll send you the required documentation.

Shipping both from and back to MyToolbox Genomics is free for those in the U.S. and Canada but can be a bit expensive for international customers at $29.95 (plus, international clients will also need to cover return shipping costs).

Once you’ve placed your order, you’ll get an email confirmation for your order. There are no tracking numbers automatically generated for your order (though you can pay extra to get one, you’ll have to email customer support before purchasing first). Our testers’ kits arrived in two business days.

Taking the test

Once your MyToolbox Genomics kit has arrived, you’ll need to create an account before getting started. This connects your kit to you so that you can get your results.

Creating an account is simple: you simply open the mobile app and select the option that you’ve received your kit. You’ll be prompted to enter your name and email address and then set a password. On the next page, you’ll be asked to enter:

• Gender
• Date of birth
• Phone number
• Address (to match the shipped kit to your account)

Then, you’ll have to accept the terms of service and privacy policy and confirm your account via your email address. It’ll prompt you to use two-step verification upon your first log-in, but you’ll stay logged in to the mobile app as long as you keep it on your phone.

After you’ve created your account, you can register your kit. The kit itself is laid out cleanly and wrapped in a smooth, suave box. Everything you’ll need for collection is tightly packaged in insular foam. Inside, you’ll find:

• Saliva funnel
• Test tube labeled with kit ID and barcode
• Instruction packet
• Prepaid return mailer (if you’re in the U.S. or Canada)

To start collecting your sample, first screw the saliva funnel into the top of the test tube. This is a bit different from some competitors, like Nebula Genomics and InsideTracker, which use a cheek swab instead.

For this test, you’ll need to collect 4ml of saliva, which isn’t a small amount. If you struggle to produce that much, our testers found it helpful to think about their favorite foods and (love them or not) lemons, which is actually recommended by MyToolbox Genomics in their FAQ.

After collecting your saliva, you can unscrew the funnel and put the cap securely back on the test tube. From here, you have the option to either scan the kit ID into your account or enter the code manually to connect your kit to you. Finally, just stick the test tube in the prepaid return envelope and drop it in the mail. (If you live outside of the U.S. or Canada, you’ll have to choose a carrier and pay for shipping back to MyToolbox Genomics.)

Lifestyle survey

After you create your account and register the kit ID, you’ll be prompted in-app to answer a lifestyle survey. This is optional but helps to inform some of your results, including your action plans. This survey asks about things such as:

• Height and weight
• Activity level
• Exercise type and frequency
• Diet

Nebula Genomics does something similar by offering 12 optional surveys for you to complete. Their topics include your alcohol use, if you smoke, your family cancer history, your diet, how fit you are, and so on.

Getting results

Genetic and epigenetic results will normally arrive at different times. Your genetic results will hit your inbox 3-4 weeks after they have been processed by the laboratory (which takes about a week from the time you mail your sample). Epigenetic results process 5-6 weeks after that. As mentioned earlier, though, you can pay a $10 fee at checkout to get all of your results at the same time (in 3-4 weeks).

Though this might seem like a long time to wait for results, even the non-express MyToolbox Genomics wait time is about half of what you’ll be waiting for Nebula Genomics (12-14 weeks).

When your results are ready, MyToolbox Genomics will send you an email to let you know. One of our testers didn’t receive an email that their genetic results were ready until 21 days later, so we recommend checking the app regularly around the 4-week mark if you haven’t yet gotten an email notification, just in case. However, this seems to have been an exception rather than the rule, as our testers received notifications for their epigenetic results on the same day.

Your results will be immediately available on the MyToolbox Genomics app. Rather than a blank or loading screen, you’ll be able to see all of the major categories:

• AQI (air quality)
• Virus risk score
• DNA results
• Health insights
• Genetic action plan
• Epigenetic results
• Meal guide
• My training
• Lifestyle tracking (coming soon)

Clicking on any one of these categories will take you to a list of subcategories, which you can click to get to your individual results.

If you’re interested in viewing your results on your computer or sending them to someone else, you can download the results. This emails you a hefty, nearly 200-page packet with all of your genetic results or a 20-page epigenetic report. MyToolbox Genomics recommends downloading the mobile app for this very reason — it makes your report much easier to read.

Genetic privacy can be a tricky subject: you want to know all of that information about yourself, but it can feel overwhelming to think of all the other parties who could also learn that raw, intimate information. But fear not — MyToolbox Genomics provides exceptional privacy protections.

On a genetic information front, MyToolbox Genomics keeps your raw genetic information (sequences of nucleotides) but destroys your sample (saliva) as soon as they’re done sequencing. This way, no one else can test or otherwise use your genetic sample. If you don’t want them to have your genetic information, just shoot customer support an email and they’ll destroy it, no questions asked. Likewise, if you don’t want to keep your account, they can deactivate it upon request. All labs used are both CLIA- and CAP-certified.

Your genetic information is anonymized and de-identified early in the testing process to protect your privacy. This means that the scientists who sequence your DNA don’t have any of your personal information, like your name, age, or email address. If any external contractors need to be brought in, such as additional lab support, they will also only get the information they need to provide their services.

Every piece of information that goes into and out of the site is heavily encrypted using AES256 or AES128 encryption, the two toughest encryption methods to break. All site data and personal information are encrypted individually both at rest and in transit.

Likewise, MyToolbox Genomics does not share any genetic information with third parties for commercial purposes. The only time someone could see your information without your explicit consent is if required by law through a legal or enforcement process.

While our past experience with MyToolbox Genomics led to some confusion on how to get in touch with customer support, they’ve recently made updates that make these avenues more obvious (which we appreciate).

Previously, we could only locate this in the FAQ, but you can now find their email address and phone number at the bottom of the website or through the “Contact Us” option. Our testers found that replies to emails could be a touch slow at times, but MyToolbox Genomics always answered all of their questions thoroughly.

All of the pages on the MyToolbox Genomics website also offer an in-browser instant chat (the little speech bubble icon in the bottom right). They typically reply instantly, but if you don’t hear back within a few minutes or the popup states they’re currently offline, they’ll answer via email so you don’t have to keep the tab open.

Your other option to get help is to book a free 15-minute consultation with Dr. Gray herself to go over your results, discuss health plans, or order in bulk (the last option is only if you’re a medical practitioner). If you’re not interested in a consultation, there’s also a collection of free pre-recorded webinars hosted by her with information on many of the factors checked by the MyToolbox Genomics tests.

Either way, this is a unique model of customer support as she’s a co-founder of the company and, therefore, knows the process better than anyone else. With her PharmD degree and years of experience, you should be in good hands. No other competitor we’ve found has an available customer service experience quite as hands-on as this.

In recent years, at-home DNA and health testing products have become more and more popular, with many competing services popping up across the market. While we’ve mentioned information about a few MyToolbox Genomics competitors throughout our review, below you’ll find some more details on our top alternatives.

23andMe Health

While 23andMe might be best known for its ancestry DNA testing, there’s another version that also analyzes your health information — 23andMe Health. Ordering both 23andMe and 23andMe Health costs a total of $299, which is the same price as ordering the DNA + Epigenetics Test bundle from MyToolbox Genomics.

Also similar to MyToolbox Genomics, Nebula Genomics, and InsideTracker, 23andMe is potentially eligible for HSA and FSA payments or reimbursement, depending on your plan.

While 23andMe covers more genetic ground than MyToolbox Genomics, such as investigating health predispositions and carrier status, they do not measure any epigenetic markers. If you’re interested in learning more about your biological age or keeping an eye on where and how your body changes over time, MyToolbox Genomics might be a better fit.

Nebula Genomics

If you’re interested in unraveling all of your genetic information and everything it codes for, then Nebula Genomics offers just that: full-genome sequencing that reads 100,000 times more positions than leading at-home DNA tests like 23andMe and AncestryDNA. Nebula’s tests read six billion genetic positions, and they give you the tools to be able to understand what’s happening at most of them.

Of course, this level of detail comes at a price. You’ll need to purchase a membership in order to continue reading your DNA. This membership updates regularly, providing new insights as researchers learn more about genetics. However, you do lose access to all of Nebula’s tools without the subscription, including your tailored health plans and treatments (which are similar to those offered by InsideTracker and MyToolbox Genomics).

Currently, Nebula Genomics offers three whole-genome sequencing kits. The prices for the kits vary based on the membership option you choose — quarterly, yearly, or lifetime. If you plan on referring to this information frequently as new information becomes available, then you’ll save the most money with a lifetime (one-time payment) subscription, instead of the recurring quarterly or yearly options.

The cost ranges for Nebula Genomics below are based on one year of a recurring membership or a lifetime one, with the latter generally being most expensive at the outset but less expensive over time.

• Standard ($229-$299): 04x DNA sequencing depth, 2GB of data. A basic ancestry report, information on common genetic predispositions, and a “medium” accuracy of DNA sequencing.
• Deep ($399-$549): 30x DNA sequencing depth, 100GB of data. Includes a deep ancestry report, all genetic predispositions and rare genetic mutations, with “high” accuracy. 549
• Ultra Deep ($1,049-$1,198): 100x DNA sequencing depth, 300GB of data. An “ultra-deep” ancestry report, information on all genetic predispositions and rare genetic mutations, all with “ultra-high” accuracy.

Nebula’s Standard kit is about the same cost or a little less than MyToolbox Genomics’ DNA + Epigenetics Test, depending on your Nebula membership type. (And keep in mind that this is without taking recurring membership charges into account.)

For more information about Nebula Genomics, you can check out our full review.

Elysium Index

Elysium is dedicated to helping you learn how you age and improving the aging process. Along with anti-aging supplements, they offer an epigenetic test, Elysium Index, that measures different aspects of aging, including:

• Your biological age
• The pace at which your body is aging
• The biological age of various systems throughout your body

Elysium also compares your biological age to that of others in the “Elysium Population,” similar to how InsideTracker compares the results of participants in their InnerAge 2.0 test. Currently, MyToolbox Genomics doesn’t compare your results with other test-takers.

The process of actually using the Elysium Index kit is remarkably similar to MyToolbox Genomics — you just need to send in a saliva sample and wait six weeks for results.

Elysium’s results can come in 3-4 weeks faster than MyToolbox Genomics’ epigenetics test (if you don’t pay the $10 for faster results). And, similar to MyToolbox Genomics, you’ll receive your biological age based on a panel of several epigenetic ages. However, MyToolbox Genomics checks four systems (eyes, hearing, memory, and inflammation), while Elysium checks nine (brain, heart, metabolism, immune system, inflammation, kidneys, liver, hormones, and blood).

Additionally, while it previously cost $499, the Elysium Index has recently dropped to $299 (with free shipping), making it the same price as the MyToolbox Genomics DNA + Epigenetics Test.

InsideTracker

Alongside a thorough DNA analysis, InsideTracker offers extensive blood testing to measure your biological responses. You can then track how well your body responds to vitamins, healthy diet choices, and new exercise methods using objective blood biomarker measurements. You can also learn your biological age through their InnerAge 2.0 test.

At first glance, InsideTracker’s DNA analysis appears to be double the size of MyToolbox Genomics’, but InsideTracker measures their DNA Kit using individual genes rather than the number of assessments they provide.

If you want to check in on your vitamin or inflammatory markers as they are today, this might be a good option. Athletes, in particular, may find success with InsideTracker’s premium personalized meal and biomarker optimization plans. Just know it comes with a hefty price tag: the Ultimate Plan (the blood test) costs $699, a DNA Kit costs $249, InnerAge 2.0 testing costs $249, and a bundle of all three tests will run you a whopping $853.

With MyToolbox Genomics offering similar insights and recommendation plans, the price difference between their DNA + Epigenetics Test ($299) and the InsideTracker bundle makes it feel difficult to justify opting for the latter at this time.

Interested in learning more about InsideTracker? Our full review can be found here.

In-person testing

If you have any concerns about your family history or unusual symptoms, it’s always a good idea to bring your primary care provider into the conversation. No genetic test is a diagnostic tool, and they can discuss any concerning results with you. It may be nothing to worry about, or they may be able to guide you through a more robust testing process to determine if the genetic test is correct.

A genetic counselor may also be wise to consult if your genomic results leave you feeling unsettled. Your primary care provider can refer you to a genetic counselor, or some hospital systems will offer contact information for you to make an appointment directly. Many of them specialize in oncology or birth defects, but they will be able to test for a wider range of traits more precisely than any non-medical service like MyToolbox Genomics. However, the wait to see a genetic counselor may be long, and appointments may not always be covered by insurance.