How Much Does Ancestry Cost?

Last Updated on March 12, 2025
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

With over 20 billion historical records and 18 million DNA customers, Ancestry.com is the world’s largest online resource for genealogy research and DNA testing. But accessing these powerful tools for tracing your family history comes at a price.

How Much Does Ancestry Cost?

Ancestry memberships cost start at $24.99 per month, while AncestryDNA testing kits range from $59 to $119 during seasonal sales. Additional record archives, software, and expert services impact the total cost for serious genealogy enthusiasts.

Ancestry offers three membership tiers providing progressive levels of family history research access:

U.S. Discovery Plan

• $24.99 per month paid monthly
• $99 total for 6-month pre-paid plan
• Access to essential U.S. census data, birth/marriage/death indexes, immigration records, American Indian records, and more
• Ideal for users researching ancestry strictly within the United States

World Explorer Plan

• $39.99 per month paid monthly
• $149 total for 6-month pre-paid plan
• Includes all U.S. collections, plus international records from the UK, Ireland, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and more
• Recommended for tracing lineages across multiple countries with immigration patterns

All Access Plan

• $59.99 per month paid monthly
• $199 total for 6-month pre-paid plan
• Includes everything in World Explorer, plus full subscriptions to Newspapers.com and Fold3 archives
• Newspapers.com contains over 12,000 digitized newspapers dating back to the 1700s in the U.S. and 1700s globally, valuable for obituary searches and announcements
• Fold3 specializes in military and government records ideal for finding veteran ancestors through draft cards, photos, pension files, and stories
• The most robust membership for detailed worldwide family history research

All plans offer a 14-day free trial without payment. This allows you to test drive Ancestry’s search capabilities and record offerings before committing to a paid subscription.

According to ConsumerAffairs, Ancestry offers three main subscription plans: U.S. Discovery at $19.99 per month or $99 for six months, World Explorer at $34.99 per month or $149 for six months, and All Access at $44.99 per month or $199 for six months. These plans provide varying levels of access to U.S. and international records, as well as additional resources like military archives and newspapers. The AncestryDNA kit costs $99, but frequent promotions can reduce the price to as low as $59.

On DNA Weekly, the basic AncestryDNA test is priced at $99, while the AncestryDNA + Family Tree package costs around $100. A more comprehensive package, including personal traits and a three-month All Access membership, is available for $199. Subscription plans are priced higher here, with the U.S. Discovery plan costing $24.99 per month, World Explorer at $39.99 per month, and All Access at $49.99 per month.

The Los Angeles Times highlights discounts and promotions, such as a student World Explorer plan for only $4.99 per month and occasional sales on DNA kits, reducing their price to as low as $39. Gift memberships start at $119, and a six-month World Explorer subscription includes a discount of up to $42.

According to Family Tree Magazine, the monthly costs for Ancestry subscriptions are: U.S. Discovery at $24.99, World Explorer at $39.99, and All Access at $59.99. The All Access plan includes additional tools like Newspapers.com and Fold3 access, making it ideal for advanced genealogists.

Lastly, TechBoomers reports similar pricing, emphasizing that the DNA kit is typically priced at $99, with frequent discounts lowering it to around $59 during promotional periods.

AncestryDNA Testing Options

In addition to record access, Ancestry.com sells DNA testing kits to analyze your genetic ethnicity percentages and connect you with newfound relatives through shared DNA matching:

DNA Test Option	Regular Price	Sale Price	What’s Included
AncestryDNA	$99	$59-$79	Ethnicity estimate percentages, DNA relative matching
AncestryDNA + Traits	$119	$79-$99	Ethnicity + analysis of 25+ genetic traits and characteristics

Reviews consistently praise the simple AncestryDNA test with only requiring a saliva sample, no blood draws. Discounts during major holiday sales drop AncestryDNA kit pricing down to just $59 to $79 temporarily, so purchase during Black Friday, Christmas, DNA Day (April 25th), or summer sales.

It takes 6-8 weeks to receive your ancestry composition and DNA relative matches. For optimal family connections, encourage close relatives to take the test too. Their results fuel Ancestry’s database.

Other Ancestry Services and Expenses

Beyond core subscription plans, Ancestry offers supplementary paid services:

Newspapers.com Access

• From $11.99 per month for digital access to historical newspapers dating back to the 1700s in the U.S. and 1700s internationally
• Available on its own without an Ancestry subscription
• Helpful for discovering ancestor obituaries, wedding announcements, local community stories, and more

Fold3 Military Records Archives

• $7.95 per month subscription (discounted to $3.95 with Total or All Access plans)
• Extensive military collections including draft cards, photos, pension records, and personal memoirs
• Perfect for honoring veteran family members through their service stories

Family Tree Maker Software Download

You might also like our articles about the cost of paternity testing or karyotype testing.

• $79.95 one-time purchase provides a desktop family tree building program for Windows PCs
• Syncs built family trees with your Ancestry account and allows gedcom exporting
• Useful for creating detailed offline family trees incorporating records, images, and sources

Official Record Certificates

• Order official birth, marriage, death, and other certificates if originals are found through Ancestry searching
• Prices start at $17.95 per digital certificate and vary by region, type, and paper copies
• Obtain tangible documentation of your ancestors’ vital life moments

Ancestry vs Other Genealogy Services

While the most robust option, alternative genealogy services exist best suited for different budgets and goals:

Ancestry.com vs. MyHeritage

• MyHeritage has cheaper plans starting at $129/year but has fewer U.S. record collections, so it’s better suited for international research in Europe and Latin America.
• Ancestry is superior for North American genealogy with more U.S. and Canadian content.

Ancestry.com vs. 23andMe

• 23andMe DNA test kits start at just $99 but provide more entertaining health-related genetic insights like physical traits and sensitivities.
• For serious genealogy research and ancestry-focused DNA relative matching, AncestryDNA surpasses 23andMe’s smaller database.

Free Genealogy Options

• FamilySearch offers access to limited free genealogy records like their family tree builder and some digitized books. But you miss out on the billions of paid archives Ancestry offers.
• WikiTree and FindAGrave provide completely free user-submitted genealogy databases, but information can be unreliable compared to Ancestry’s rigorously sourced records.

Overall, Ancestry delivers tremendous value for users invested in mapping global family trees through historical documents the company has uniquely digitized and indexed for discovery.

Insider Tips

While not free, various discounts and strategies can help lower Ancestry.com’s costs:

Buy Ancestry Services on Sale

• DNA kits and subscriptions go on sale during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, DNA Day sales in April, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and summer seasonal promotions. Watch for coupons and promo codes.
• The annual World Explorer 6-month prepaid plan saves $40 per year over monthly billing.

Leverage Military and Student Discounts

• Active military members and veterans can obtain special account pricing by providing documentation through Ancestry’s customer service team. This includes discount service like Fold3 access.
• Students enrolled in high school or college courses can get 10% off subscriptions. Confirm eligibility first when contacting support.

Share Ancestry Accounts Within Families

• Up to 5 Ancestry account users can share one subscription and collaboratively build trees. Have relatives split the cost.
• Shared access works for memberships, DNA kits, Newspapers.com, and other paid features. Keep genealogy affordable through cooperation.

Purchase Ancestry Gift Cards on Sale

• Existing account holders buying discounted gift cards through third-party retailers often score bonus extra promotional amounts (10-15% bonuses recently). Stack savings.

Use Free Trials to Test Value First

• The 14-day free trial allows you to evaluate Ancestry’s offerings prior to paying. Test search capabilities and record collections before committing your dollars.

Taking advantage of any available savings makes investing in your ancestry journey more affordable over the long term.

Is Ancestry Worth it?

Ancestry delivers tremendous value helping users:

• Uncover immigration records detailing when and how ancestors arrived in new countries.
• Identify previous generations through billions of digitized census, birth, and death records dating back centuries.
• Connect with unknown distant relatives across the world through AncestryDNA matching who can share histories.
• Build comprehensive family trees full of photos, stories, and documents passed down through relations.

Yet casual hobbyists seeking limited genealogy insights can start with free sources before paying to go more in-depth. Ancestry’s cost is justifiable for dedicated researchers invested in documenting their lineages far and wide.

Expert Tips

Michael Carson – Professional Genealogist and Former Ancestry Employee

“Don’t pay full price! AncestryDNA tests and subscriptions go on sale multiple times per year, so be patient if interested and wait it out until the next holiday promotion.”

Sarah Grey – Avid Genealogy Hobbyist and Blogger

“My advice is to take advantage of the free trial membership and download any promising hints or records you find immediately, before the two weeks expires. That way, you have leads even without the paid subscription active.”

Kevin Smith – Owner of Trace My Past Genealogy Services

“I always recommend testing with AncestryDNA first when starting genealogy research because of their unrivaled database size for DNA relative matching. More close and distant relative connections equals more family history discoveries.”

Final Words

Tracing your family’s path through history is an enriching mission. Ancestry provides unparalleled tools for the journey, but at a financial cost. Fortunately, discounted memberships, DNA kit sales, bundled plans, and sharing accounts help reduce the bottom line. Take advantage of any dollar-saving opportunities to keep your ancestry adventure on budget. Lastly, don’t forget to start recording your own history for future generations!

Answers to Common Questions

Do you have to pay every year for ancestry com?

Yes, Ancestry.com requires an annual or monthly membership subscription to access records online. There is no lifetime access option. However, discounts like annual plans and holiday sales help lower renewal costs if you plan to use it long-term.

Can I use Ancestry without paying?

You can build a family tree and search limited records on the Ancestry website for free without paying by using the 14-day trial. But full access requires a paid subscription plan. Non-subscribers cannot view restricted records or AncestryDNA results.

Can you view your Ancestry tree after your membership expires?

No, your personal family tree will no longer be accessible after an Ancestry subscription ends. You’ll need to download your family tree data or re-subscribe to view it again. Ancestry accounts go inactive without a paid membership, blocking access to records and DNA test results as well.