23andMe vs. Whole Genome Sequencing: What You Actually Get

If you are choosing a DNA test today and you want the most of your own genome, whole genome sequencing is the deeper read and the one you are least likely to outgrow. 23andMe uses a genotyping array that reads a preselected panel of roughly 640,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), a small slice of your DNA. Whole genome sequencing (WGS), the kind Biome runs at 30x, reads essentially all of the roughly 3.2 billion base pairs in the human genome. An array only sees markers chosen in advance. WGS captures far more of the raw data, from a single sample you own.

That difference is the heart of this comparison, and a second one showed up in 2025: after 23andMe's bankruptcy, custody of its DNA database changed hands, so where your genome lives and who can sell it is now part of the decision, not only how many markers the test reads. Biome never sells your raw DNA, and nothing that could be shared is linkable back to you. I read each company's published pages to keep the facts straight.

23andMe vs. whole genome sequencing at a glance

	23andMe (Health + Ancestry)	Whole Genome Sequencing (Biome)
Technology	Genotyping array (custom SNP chip)	30x whole genome sequencing
What it reads	A preselected panel, commonly cited near 640,000 SNPs	Essentially all ~3.2 billion base pairs
Coverage model	Only markers chosen in advance	Reads the genome broadly, not a fixed panel
Reuse over time	Fixed to the markers on the chip	One read you own, revisitable as science advances
Sample	Saliva (spit tube, no blood draw)	At-home saliva / cheek swab (no blood draw)
Price	About $199 (Ancestry-only ~$99; Total Health ~$499)	$349 (Biome also sells a $249 DNA test)
Reports	100+ reports, including FDA-authorized health predisposition and carrier-status reports	85+ trait findings tied to genes and rsIDs, each labeled by evidence tier
Data custody	Database transferred to TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit, in July 2025	Biome never sells your raw DNA, and nothing that could be shared is linkable back to you

Why whole genome sequencing reads more of you

WGS does not work from a fixed marker list. It reads the genome broadly, so it captures positions a genotyping chip was never designed to include. A genotyping array can only report on markers its designers selected ahead of time. If a variant is not on the chip, the array cannot see it, no matter how the science develops later.

Biome sells WGS as a 30x whole genome sequencing test at $349, alongside a separate $249 DNA (genotyping) test (Biome). Sample collection for both is an at-home saliva or cheek swab, with no blood draw. The report covers 85+ trait findings tied to specific genes and rsIDs, spanning pharmacogenomics such as warfarin, statin, and caffeine metabolism, plus nutrition and fitness markers (Biome).

The deeper read is also the more future-proof one. Because WGS reads your whole genome once, that same file can be revisited as interpretation methods and research improve, without collecting a new sample. You buy the read a single time and it keeps its usefulness, rather than being locked to the specific markers a chip happened to carry.

What does 23andMe actually read?

23andMe's kit is a genotyping test. It uses a fully custom SNP chip to detect a preselected panel of single-nucleotide polymorphisms rather than reading the entire genome. The company describes the chip as including "common variants that provide genome-wide coverage and rare variants" chosen to maximize health and ancestry features (23andMe).

The number of markers depends on the chip version. Raw-data files typically contain on the order of 550,000 to 700,000 markers, with roughly 640,000 SNPs commonly cited for the Illumina Global Screening Array-based custom chip (23andMe raw data details). 23andMe has also announced an upgraded array testing approximately one million SNPs (23andMe press release). Even a million SNPs is a curated panel, not the whole genome.

None of this makes the array a bad tool. For the specific reports 23andMe delivers, a genotyping array is well matched to the job and does it at a low entry price. It just answers a fixed set of pre-chosen questions, and the questions are set when the chip is designed.

Does more coverage mean more accurate findings?

Here is the honest caveat, because it is the one that separates a real advantage from a marketing one. More coverage does not automatically mean stronger evidence. A high-evidence SNP-trait association stays high evidence whether an array or WGS reads it, and 30x WGS mainly improves callability and completeness (fewer missing-marker gaps) rather than raising the underlying evidence level (Biome). If the study behind a marker is thin, sequencing that marker at higher depth does not make the study stronger.

What WGS gives you is breadth and completeness: far more of your DNA on hand, with fewer positions the test simply could not see. Biome pairs that with a report that does not overclaim. Each of its 85+ findings is labeled with an evidence tier of strong, moderate, or limited, so a thin-evidence marker is marked as thin rather than dressed up to sound as certain as everything else (Biome). Depth of read and honesty about evidence are two separate strengths, and Biome states both plainly.

How much do they cost?

23andMe's Health + Ancestry Service is priced around $199, with an Ancestry-only option near $99 and a Total Health tier near $499 (23andMe membership). The Health + Ancestry kit delivers 100+ personalized online reports, including FDA-authorized health predisposition and carrier-status reports, through your online account (23andMe shop).

Biome's WGS test is $349 and its DNA test is $249 (Biome). The entry array product costs less than a WGS test, which is expected, since a test that reads far more of the genome generally costs more. The right way to read the gap is what you are paying for: the array buys a fixed report set, while WGS buys a broad read of your genome that you keep and can revisit.

What happened to 23andMe's data in 2025?

This is the part that reshaped the comparison. 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 23, 2025. After a reopened auction, the bankruptcy court approved the sale of the company and its genetic-data assets to TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit founded by co-founder Anne Wojcicki, with the sale closing July 14, 2025 (NPR).

As part of the court-approved sale, TTAM agreed to abide by 23andMe's existing privacy policies and to add further privacy protections for consumer genetic data. The ownership transfer means custody of the DNA database now sits with the acquiring nonprofit (Foley Hoag).

The lesson for a buyer is not to panic about any one company. It is that where your genome lives, who owns it, and whether it can be sold are now questions worth asking before you spit in a tube. A genome is the most personal data you have, and it does not change, so custody matters for the long run. Biome never sells your raw DNA, and nothing that could be shared is linkable back to you (Biome privacy). Read each company's current policy yourself, and weight the answer heavily.

Which one is right for you?

Choose 23andMe if what you want is its specific report set, including FDA-authorized health predisposition and carrier reports plus ancestry, at the lowest entry price, and you are comfortable with a preselected marker panel and the current custody arrangement. It is a capable product for that reader.

For most people deciding today, whole genome sequencing is the stronger choice, and that is where Biome fits. If you want the test to read far more of your DNA than any fixed chip panel, a read you own once and can revisit as the science improves, and clear control over your own genome, WGS is the depth you will not outgrow. Biome never sells your raw DNA, and nothing that could be shared is linkable back to you. Biome delivers that read at $349, with every one of its 85+ findings labeled by evidence tier so you can see exactly how strong each one is (Biome). For the reader who wants to own the deepest read of their genome and keep control of it, that is the one to buy.

FAQ

Is 23andMe whole genome sequencing? No. 23andMe is a genotyping array that reads a preselected panel of SNPs (commonly cited near 640,000, with an upgraded chip testing about one million), not the roughly 3.2 billion base pairs that whole genome sequencing reads.

How many markers does 23andMe test? Its raw-data files typically contain on the order of 550,000 to 700,000 markers depending on chip version, with roughly 640,000 SNPs commonly cited for the Global Screening Array-based custom chip. An upgraded array tests approximately one million SNPs. Whole genome sequencing reads essentially the whole genome instead of a fixed panel.

Who owns 23andMe's DNA data now? After the 2025 Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company and its genetic-data assets were sold to TTAM Research Institute, a nonprofit founded by co-founder Anne Wojcicki, with the sale closing July 14, 2025. Biome, by contrast, never sells your raw DNA, and nothing that could be shared is linkable back to you.

Does more DNA coverage mean more accurate results? Not by itself. Whole genome sequencing improves completeness and reduces missing-marker gaps, but the evidence behind any given SNP-trait association stays the same whether an array or WGS reads it. Biome labels each finding strong, moderate, or limited so you can judge that evidence directly.

Do these tests need a blood draw? No. Both 23andMe and Biome collect an at-home saliva sample (Biome also allows a cheek swab). No needle is involved.