Best DNA Test in Australia (2026): Which Kit Should Australians Buy?

Australians are some of the most enthusiastic family historians in the world. Perhaps it's because so many of us descend from people who arrived within the last two centuries, as convicts, assisted immigrants, gold rush fortune-seekers, post-war migrants and more recent arrivals, and the records of those journeys are often remarkably rich.

A DNA test can add a powerful new dimension to that research. But choosing the right one in Australia comes with a few local considerations: which databases contain the most relatives of Australians, how shipping and returns work from here, and how privacy law applies when your data is held overseas. This guide covers all of it.

Our pick for most Australians: AncestryDNA

For the majority of Australians researching their family history, AncestryDNA is the best DNA test, and it's not especially close. Here's why.

• The biggest database by far. Independent estimates in early 2026 put AncestryDNA at roughly 30 million kits, more than all the other genealogy databases combined. More testers means more matches.
• It matches where Australians' roots are. Most Australians with colonial-era ancestry have roots in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and Ancestry's database is particularly deep in Britain, Ireland, the US, Canada and Australia itself. Your matches are likely to include both "stay-at-home" cousins in the British Isles and descendants of siblings who emigrated to North America.
• Australian records. Ancestry has a dedicated Australian site and significant Australian record collections, including convict, immigration, electoral roll and vital records indexes. Note that records access is a separate subscription from the DNA test.
• Local purchase. AncestryDNA is sold through Ancestry's Australian website, so you're paying in Australian dollars and dealing with local shipping.

When MyHeritage DNA is the better choice

MyHeritage DNA is an excellent alternative, and in some situations it's the better pick for Australians:

• Post-war European migration. If your parents or grandparents came to Australia from Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the former Yugoslavia, Malta or elsewhere in continental Europe, MyHeritage's strong European user base may connect you with relatives still living there.
• Jewish heritage. MyHeritage is particularly strong for Jewish ancestry.
• You've already tested elsewhere. MyHeritage accepts raw data uploads from other companies. If you've tested with Ancestry, uploading to MyHeritage is an inexpensive way to find extra matches.
• Old photographs. Its tools to enhance and colourise old family photos are a genuine pleasure to use.

For a detailed head-to-head, read our AncestryDNA vs MyHeritage comparison.

What about 23andMe?

23andMe is best known for health and trait reports rather than genealogy. Its relative-matching database is smaller than Ancestry's, and in 2025 the company went through a bankruptcy and was sold to a nonprofit led by its co-founder. Availability of particular reports, and whether specific kits ship to Australia, can vary, so check the company's site for what's currently offered here.

If health insights are your main interest, it may still suit you. But for tracing Australian family history, we'd steer you to Ancestry or MyHeritage. Read more in our guide: Is 23andMe safe after the sale?

DNA and convict ancestry

Around 160,000 convicts were transported to the Australian colonies between 1788 and 1868, and a large share of Australians with colonial roots descend from at least one of them. DNA can be especially helpful for this kind of research, in a few ways.

Confirming a paper trail

Convict records are often detailed, but names were common and spellings varied. If you believe you descend from a particular convict, DNA matches with other descendants of the same person, especially descendants of their other children, can help confirm the link.

Finding the family left behind

Most convicts left parents, siblings and sometimes spouses behind in Britain or Ireland. Their descendants may have tested too. Matching with British or Irish cousins can help you identify a convict's origins, which is often the hardest part of convict research.

Breaking colonial brick walls

Records from the early colonial period can be sparse, and some people effectively reinvented themselves in the colonies. DNA doesn't care about a changed name, so it can reveal biological connections that documents miss.

For the paper-trail side, see our step-by-step guide to finding convict ancestors.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestry

Consumer DNA tests have important limitations here, and it's worth being clear about them. Commercial ethnicity estimates rely on reference populations, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are, for good and well-documented reasons, very under-represented in those panels. Results may group Indigenous Australian ancestry with broader regional categories, or not detect it reliably.

More importantly, a DNA test cannot determine Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity. Identity is a matter of descent, self-identification and community recognition, not a percentage on a chart. If you're researching Indigenous family history, organisations such as Link-Up services, state archives and community organisations can provide culturally appropriate support, and AIATSIS offers guidance on family history research.

Shipping, returns and timing from Australia

A few practical points for Australian buyers:

• Check the total price at checkout, including shipping. Some kits are posted from overseas.
• Return postage. Kits usually include a prepaid return envelope for your sample, but check, especially if buying from an overseas website.
• Allow extra time. Samples posted from Australia travel to overseas labs, so results can take a little longer than the advertised average. Four to eight weeks after the lab receives the sample is a typical range.
• Christmas timing. If you're buying a gift, check the last order dates for delivery. Regional and remote areas need extra time.

Privacy for Australians

When you test with an overseas company, your data is generally held overseas and governed by that company's terms and the laws where it operates, as well as any obligations it has under Australian law. Practically, this means:

• Read the privacy statement before testing, paying attention to research consent, data sharing, and law enforcement policies.
• Choose your relative-matching visibility settings deliberately.
• Know how to download your raw data and how to delete your account and sample.
• Use a strong unique password and two-factor authentication.

If something goes wrong with an organisation's handling of your personal information, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is the national privacy regulator.

Getting the best price in Australia

DNA kits are discounted several times a year. For Australians, the main sales windows tend to be Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the Christmas period, and promotions around Mother's Day (May in Australia) and Father's Day (September in Australia). Because US promotions sometimes run on different dates, it's worth watching the Australian site specifically.

Our deals page lists current offers, and you can sign up to be alerted when your preferred kit is discounted. Our Black Friday buying guide covers what to watch for in the fine print.

Free Australian resources to use alongside your DNA

A DNA test works best alongside a documented family tree. Australia is blessed with excellent free resources:

• Trove, the National Library of Australia's free database of digitised newspapers and more.
• State birth, death and marriage indexes, which are free to search in most states for historical records.
• The National Archives of Australia, home to digitised WWI service records and immigration files.
• State archives, including convict, immigration and land records.
• FamilySearch, which is completely free and holds many Australian and British records.

We cover these in detail in our guide to free Australian genealogy records.

Which family members should test?

If you can stretch the budget beyond a single kit, who you test can matter more than which company you choose. Here's how to prioritise.

Your oldest living relatives

Each of us carries only about half of each parent's DNA, so a parent's or grandparent's test reaches further back than yours. A grandparent born in the 1940s carries DNA from ancestors who may have arrived in Australia in the 1800s, and they will match distant cousins that you simply don't. Many Australian family historians say their biggest regret is not testing an elderly relative while they had the chance.

One relative from each side

Testing someone from your mother's side and someone from your father's side makes it far easier to sort your matches. Any match who also matches your maternal aunt, for example, belongs to your mother's side, which immediately halves the puzzle.

Relatives from migrant branches

If one branch of your family arrived more recently, for example from Italy, Greece or Vietnam after the Second World War, testing someone from that branch with a company that has a strong presence in that country can connect you with relatives overseas. MyHeritage is often the better choice for continental European branches.

Making sense of your matches as an Australian

When your results arrive, you'll notice patterns that are typical for Australians. Many of your matches may live in the US or Canada, because siblings of your emigrant ancestors often went to North America instead. You'll probably also see a cluster of matches in the UK and Ireland, descendants of the family members who stayed home. And you'll have Australian matches, sometimes in surprising numbers, because large colonial-era families multiplied quickly.

Australian matches who descend from the same convict or early settler can be especially helpful, because many of them have already done extensive research. Look at their trees, and don't hesitate to send a friendly message. Our guide to what to do when your results arrive explains how to work through your matches step by step.

Our verdict

For most Australians, especially those with British, Irish or colonial-era roots, AncestryDNA is the best DNA test thanks to its unmatched database and strong Australian, British and Irish coverage.

Choose MyHeritage DNA if your family came to Australia from continental Europe, if you have Jewish heritage, or as an inexpensive second database by uploading your Ancestry raw data.

Unsure? Our 60-second quiz will match you with the right test.

Frequently asked questions

Can a DNA test tell me if I have convict ancestry?

Not directly. There's no "convict gene". But DNA matches with other descendants of a convict can help confirm a family connection you've identified through records.

Will my results show "Australian" ethnicity?

Most Australians of colonial or migrant descent will see regions such as England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales or continental European regions, reflecting where their ancestors came from before Australia. Ancestry's communities feature may also link you to groups of testers with shared Australian ancestry.

Is it legal to take a DNA test in Australia?

Yes. Consumer ancestry tests are widely available in Australia. Be aware that some insurance products may have their own rules about genetic information, so if that's a concern, it's worth checking the current position before testing.

Which test should my parents take?

If budget allows, testing your parents (or grandparents) is extremely valuable, because their DNA reaches a generation further back than yours. AncestryDNA is usually the best choice for them too.