FTDNA Historical Y-DNA Test Sales Prices

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Y-DNA testing is very useful for genealogy research, but can be expensive. Fortunately, the tests go on sale multiple times a year. We will post current and prior FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) Y-DNA test sales prices here for reference and comparison. All future sales prices and timing are subject to change.

Unlike many other vendors, most FTDNA regular and sale prices are available world-wide, in U.S. dollars. Shipping price for new kits is $9.95 worldwide (in 2024); there is no shipping needed for upgrades. U.S. customers receive a pre-paid shipping envelop to return their sample. Customers outside of the U.S. must arrange and pay for their sample return shipping.

Contents 1 FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) 1.1 Expected Sales Periods 1.2 Medium-level Sales Prices 1.3 Deep Sales Prices

FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA)

Purchase kits and upgrades at https://www.familytreedna.com/. Be sure to join the appropriate surname project as well.

Expected Sales Periods

FTDNA holds Y-DNA test sales multiple times each year. There are two levels of sales; we'll call them "medium" and "deep." Here are the regular and sales prices we saw during 2023:

Test	Regular	Medium	Deep Sale
Y-37	$119	$99	$79
Y-111	$249	$209	$199
Big Y-700	$349	$299	$279

Upgrade sales prices are often the same during medium and deep sales, but can vary by sale. Sales prices for the most common upgrade (Y-37 to Big Y-700, Y-67 to Big Y-700, and Y-111 to Big Y-700) don't usually vary across different sales. Sales prices for upgrades from Y-12 to Big Y-700, Y-25 to Big Y-700, or Big Y-500 to Big Y-700 may be slightly better during a deep sale.

While their sales schedules and pricing are subject to change, we generally see sales that last one to four weeks during the following time periods:

• Roots-Tech Conference: March - deep sale (coupon codes required; online conference registration currently free)
• DNA Days: mid-late April - medium sale
• Father's Day: mid-late Jun - medium sale
• Summer Sale: mid-late Aug - medium sale
• Thanksgiving Sale: Nov - medium or deep sale
• Black Friday/Cyber Monday: late Nov - deep sale
• Holiday Sale: Dec - medium or deep sale

FTDNA has varied its holiday sales, so it's unclear how they will handle future ones. In the past, they gave deep sales through most of Nov and Dec. However, in 2023, they had two medium-level sales in Nov and Dec, plus a deep sale for about a week for Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

Medium-level Sales Prices

Although prices and dates can vary, here's an example from a typical medium-level sale. One goal of researchers is to get as many Big Y-700 tests as possible, so the chart also includes examples of buying a lower-level test first, then upgrading (also during a sale) to Big Y-700 at a later date.

Deep Sales Prices

"Deep" sales are usually pretty similar to the private RootsTech conference pricing. It's unclear how often FTDNA will hold deep sales in the future. Generally, new kits are reduced an extra $20 from the medium-level sales pricing. Upgrade pricing has varied over time by sale.

Expired private sale with RootsTech coupon codes (Feb to Apr 2021):