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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Ancestry vs MyHeritage

Ancestry 4.8★ · Free to download 60
Winner MyHeritage
MyHeritage 4.9★ · Free + IAP 75

MyHeritage is generally preferred for its user-friendliness and DNA ethnicity estimates, while Ancestry offers a larger database but is criticized for its high cost and app glitches.

Full reviews: Ancestry · MyHeritage

MyHeritage is praised for its ease of use, accurate DNA estimates, and innovative features, despite some app glitches and customer service issues. Ancestry, while having a vast database, faces significant criticism for its high subscription costs, confusing payment structures, and frequent app performance problems.

Head to head

Features and Data Accuracy edge: MyHeritageR3R5R11R23
Ancestry Ancestry users appreciate the extensive historical data and the ability to discover family connections, with some finding it amazing and helpful for filling in blanks R5R11R23. However, some users report issues with DNA trait accuracy R3 and a lack of updates for specific ethnic journeys, like African American journeys .
MyHeritage MyHeritage users praise its accurate DNA estimates, especially for European heritage, and its ability to help them discover their roots R62R78. The app is also noted for continually improving and adding new technologies . However, some users find their ethnicity results inaccurate compared to other services R78.
Ease of Use and Navigation edge: MyHeritageR4R12R13R21
Ancestry Many Ancestry users find the app and website difficult to navigate and user-unfriendly R4R13. Some updates have also removed helpful features or made the experience worse R12R21.
MyHeritage MyHeritage is generally considered easy to use and well-organized . However, some users find the app clunky, not intuitive, and lacking options to link records or add photos easily .
Reliability and Performance tieR1R16R18R25
Ancestry Ancestry users frequently report significant app issues, including trees not saving R25, loss of DNA data and tree ownership R1, network errors R16, hints not showing , and the app crashing, lagging, or failing to load R18R58. Updates are often cited as introducing new glitches R46.
MyHeritage MyHeritage users experience app crashes, especially on iPads, making the app unusable for some . There are also reports of login issues, with users being locked out due to too many attempts or invalid codes . Some users also mention the app being glitchy and not displaying data correctly .
Price and Value tieR7R10R14R18
Ancestry Ancestry is widely criticized for its high cost, with users calling it too expensive R14R18R27. Many feel that too much content is paywalled after purchasing a DNA kit R10. There are also complaints about unexpected charges, cancellation fees R7, and misleading pricing .
MyHeritage MyHeritage users find the service pricey, especially with add-ons and multiple subscription plans . Similar to Ancestry, many feel that essential features, like viewing family trees or communicating with matches, are locked behind subscriptions after paying for a DNA kit . There are also complaints about unexpected auto-renewal charges .
Customer Support edge: AncestryR9R29R55R61
Ancestry Ancestry users report difficulty accessing their accounts R29 and issues with paid DNA tests not being accessible R9. There are also complaints about long, drawn-out processes to resolve issues like unauthorized charges R55.
MyHeritage MyHeritage receives strong criticism for poor customer service, with users describing it as frustrating and unhelpful . Many report being sent in loops with AI assistants, unable to reach human support, or not receiving kits/results after months R61.
Pick Ancestry if

You prioritize a potentially larger database for family history research and are willing to navigate a less user-friendly interface and higher costs R5R11.

Pick MyHeritage if

You value a more user-friendly experience, particularly for DNA ethnicity estimates, and are interested in innovative features, even if the app has some performance issues and customer service can be difficult R62.

Evidence note: MyHeritage has significantly fewer reviews than Ancestry, which may skew the perception of its overall quality, especially regarding customer service and app reliability. Both apps receive substantial criticism regarding pricing and paywalls.

Frequently asked

Is Ancestry or MyHeritage better for DNA testing?
MyHeritage is often preferred for DNA ethnicity estimates, especially for European heritage, with users finding its results accurate and detailed R62, though some find their ethnicity results inaccurate compared to other services R78. Ancestry users also find their DNA results helpful, but some report issues with trait accuracy R3 and difficulties accessing paid DNA test results R9.
Are Ancestry and MyHeritage expensive?
Both Ancestry and MyHeritage are considered expensive by users, with many complaining about high subscription fees and numerous paywalls R14R18R27. Ancestry users specifically mention charges of almost $40 for subscriptions and $25 cancellation fees R7, while MyHeritage users report unexpected charges of almost £200 or $300 for renewals .
Do Ancestry and MyHeritage apps have glitches?
Yes, both Ancestry and MyHeritage apps are reported to have glitches. Ancestry users experience frequent crashes, lags, and failures to load R18R58, with updates often introducing new flaws R46, and issues like trees not saving R25. MyHeritage users also report the app crashing immediately upon opening, especially on iPads , and login difficulties .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R3] Ancestry 3/5 · US Traits!?!: I appreciate learning about all the amazing people I’m related too and seeing my tree expand. Since my families don’t know too much where they came from, etc. But the traits we should have a way to let you know you are wrong/incorrect. More than 60% of my traits are incorrect and the parent you base them off is the wrong parent. Being a perfectionist this has been driving me absolutely
  2. [R5] Ancestry 5/5 · US The Good😊The Bad😠& The Ugly🥴= Me: Love History and Real Life. Can’t get enough of Ancestry. I have been working on my family history since the 1980’s and that was all done in Court Houses, Public Libraries and knocking on on doors. Meeting strangers for anything they could confirm/ deny/ embellish/ or add to! It was fun but Ancestry has confirmed for me all of that ground work decades ago. In my
  3. [R11] Ancestry 5/5 · US My Ancestors: I’m amazed at what I have discovered about my family.
  4. [R23] Ancestry 5/5 · US Great program for family Histort: I love Ancestry! I was adopted and knew very little about my birth father except his name. Through Ancestry I have confirmed he was my father! I never met him but am glad Ancestry helped me fill in the blanks!
  5. [R4] Ancestry 1/5 · US Family trees: Very user unfriendly, not able to change trees at will…
  6. [R12] Ancestry 3/5 · US Ancestry organization: A recent update in Ancestry has lost the chronological order in proposing children in the review of families in hints. Why? The order is helpful in comparing, for example, marriage date of parents with birth dates of children. Using birthday of first child should be sufficient rather than having to look at the complete list of kids
  7. [R13] Ancestry 1/5 · US AJ: You make it too hard to search!
  8. [R21] Ancestry 3/5 · US Going backwards: I’ve been using the app and desktop version for years. But I’m very disappointed with the loss of anniversaries on the home page of the app showing the dates birthdays, deaths, and anniversaries. Please bring this feature back!! It’s such a helpful reminder!!!! And I liked the addition of the trivia feature on the home page but it hasn’t been working for over a month and it hasn’t
  9. [R1] Ancestry 1/5 · US Ancestry Lost me as my Tree Owner and my DNA: How can Ancestry mess up so badly? I am the tree owner, but now, after 1500+ people on my tree, they lose my DNA AND ME. I AM NO LONGER ON MY TREE that I created??? Wow!
  10. [R16] Ancestry 1/5 · US Importantance of history and being correct and not corrupt for money!: Network error and I just payed for services!!
  11. [R18] Ancestry 3/5 · US Easy, expensive, yet unreliable performance: I’ve used Ancestry for years. It keeps getting more and more expensive. It’s frustrating when trying to add hints to a record and have the program not work or give incorrect messages, like I need to contact the owner of the tree for access, then give me my contact information.
  12. [R25] Ancestry 1/5 · US Terrible app: I keep adding my family members to my tree, and it won’t save it. It’ll look alright, but wipe it all after I close out the app. Such a waste.
  13. [R7] Ancestry 1/5 · US Cancellation Payment: Yesterday I had a charge on my bank account for almost $40 which is the subscription fee. I decided I wasn’t ready to get into the ancestry of my family, moneys tight, can’t afford it right now, I’ll do it when things are more stable, and then I was charged a $25 cancellation fee. Now, I will never come back to this. Good riddance.
  14. [R10] Ancestry 2/5 · US Confused: It seems that you have to subscribe to find out anything. My DNA results are in and I have no idea how to view them
  15. [R14] Ancestry 4/5 · US Disappointed: I have been paying for years, times are harder, I see almost nothing of my trees, why can’t prices go down so people can start working on their ancestry, why can’t you give back to your customers who are having a rough time in this economy
  16. [R9] Ancestry 3/5 · US Access to tests: Why can I not get access for the two DNA test that I have paid for ..??..
  17. [R29] Ancestry 5/5 · US Trouble accessing: I have been trying to access my account for a little while now and when I couldn’t remember my passcode and asked for either contacting someone or going to the Help area, all I got was a screen with two parentheses. I went on. I went on my search engine to see if there was another way I could contact ancestry to let it be known that I cannot access my account. My account is abou
  18. [R55] Ancestry 1/5 · US Charged for World Access without my permission: I was charged $194 for World Access without my permission. When I tried to call to remedy the “fraud” the give me a long drawn out way to resolve it. Instead I will ask American Express dispute it and put it back in the people who made the error.
  19. [R61] MyHeritage 1/5 · US Fake: I have sent the kit since two months and till now I haven't gotten the result this is such a fake service and no one answers after get the money
  20. [R62] MyHeritage 5/5 · US About my heritage: Im so happy that I discovered finally my jewish roots, always had on my mind from where i came from due my grand grandparents, grandparents past away when I was children, so never knew my heritage history, but now I feel complete and proud of my family. Thanks to this app I know where I belong
  21. [R78] MyHeritage 3/5 · US Free version okay: App is okay for why and how I use it. However, their ethnicity results are incorrect. They show me as being about 29% Italian whereas multiple other DNA services show zero Italian but a similar percentage in a completely different - and expected - country/region/continent. I think someone should double-check the ethnicity mapping in the app.
  22. [R27] Ancestry 3/5 · US Updates: I don’t care for the last couple of updates. I also, want to express my concerns for the high cost for Ancestry. There are so many other companies with apps that do not have the outrageous price for a $500 year. I think it’s time to drop your prices. Just saying
  23. [R46] Ancestry 1/5 · US Do Not UPDATE-Always Introduces a Glitch: Each time the app is updated a new flaw or glitch is introduced to the app. The most annoying glitch is one that makes you have to download every one of your Trees again each time the app is updated …. Not a lot of fun when each tree has 40,000 people ☹️. And just for fun they add another bug that requires that the app remain open while each Tree downloads
  24. [R58] Ancestry 1/5 · US Over 500$ a yr and the app doesn't work right: App constantly crashes , lags and fails to load. Things you shouldn't have to deal with for a subscription this expensive. This app should be flawless with how much these ppl charge. Don't subscribe to this. Do the most you can without paying them. It is not worth the money

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store