Nebula Genomics Review

Wednesday, June 7th

2023 DNA Testing Kit Reviews

Nebula Genomics

• Decodes 100% of your DNA
• Full mtDNA and Y-DNA sequencing
• High priority on maintaining your privacy
• Three tests to choose from

Did you know that most DNA testing kits only analyze less than 1% of your DNA? If you want to have 100% of your DNA decoded, your only option may be Nebula Genomics. Featured in the MIT Technology Review, on CNBC, in WIRED Magazine and more, this company can tell you about your ancestry, genetic mutations, oral microbiome, and much, much more.

Most expensive DNA tests in our review

As you might expect with such an in-depth DNA testing kit, your costs here will be much higher than with Nebula Genomics' rivals:

• Standard: Regularly-priced at $299 but on sale for $99 at the time of our most recent visit, this test gives you a basic ancestry report and detects common predispositions. It does not decode all 20,000 genes, identify genetic mutations, or go beyond a DNA sequencing depth of 0.4x.
• Deep: Regularly-priced at $999 but sale priced at $299, this kit gives you a DNA sequencing depth of 30x (generating over 100 GB of DNA data), deep ancestry reports based on both Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA, decodes all 20,000 genes, identifies genetic mutations, and comes with a high degree of accuracy.
• Ultra Deep: Regularly-priced at $2999 and sale priced at $999, this is the most in-depth DNA testing kit here. This test is recommended if you need to search for very rare genetic variants, because it goes to a sequencing depth of 100x and generates over 300 GB of DNA data.

Big privacy promises

No matter which test you choose, you'll be in total control of your data. Unlike some DNA testing services, Nebula Genomics gives you irrevocable ownership of your Whole Genome Sequencing data: you decide who can access it and the purposes for which it's used, and the company keeps your genetic info in a secure computing environment.

Subscriptions required for continuing updates

But, if you want ongoing updates and new reports, unlimited use of the site's genome exploration tools, and access to deep ancestry analysis, you'll have to choose a Nebula Explore subscription plan (and there's no way to purchase a kit without selecting a quarterly plan at $24.99/month, a yearly plan that works out to $12.49/month, or a lifetime plan for $274.99). You can cancel your subscription after the first month, though, and you will always be able to download your genomic data.

Upload your DNA data from other sites

Another option is to upload your raw genetic data from Ancestry or 23andMe. There's no charge for the service, and you'll get a free report that expands on what you've already received from those two companies.

Costs

• Regularly priced from $299 to $2,999
• Sale priced from $99 to $999
• Subscription fees ranging from $24.99/month to $274.99/lifetime

Recent feedback is terrible

Given how comprehensive it all sounds, you might be wondering why this DNA testing kit ranks so low compared with other services. We were really excited about Nebula Genomics... until we started reading client comments. Despite having nearly 500 five-star reviews, almost all of the more recent ones gave the service the lowest possible rating of just one star. Customers say that it's almost impossible to use your Nebula data on any other platform, despite many articles on the company's blog to the contrary. Others describe tests that never arrive, DNA samples that are marked as "failed" more than five months after sending them in, and results that didn't show a known genetic condition (bringing into question the validity of these tests). Do you really want to spend close to $1,000 to get, as more than one client described it, "the worst customer support ever" ? We wouldn't.

Where does your data actually go?

We're also not so sure how trustworthy this company is, when you start to dig deeper down. There's no way to contact them via phone: your only option both pre- and post-purchase is via email or online form on the website. The street address provided is just a high-rise apartment building in Miami, not a corporate headquarters by any means. And, as one review pointed out, some services offered by Nebula Genomics are outsourced to other companies - like YFull, which is headquartered in Moscow. Do you want your DNA data analyzed (and likely retained) by a Russian company? Again, we wouldn't.

Last place among DNA testing companies

While we really like the concept of what Nebula Genomics offers, the reality of this DNA testing kit comes up extremely short. You could spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars for results that take months, if they come at all. And, despite numerous privacy pledges, it didn't take too much research to see that your data really could be going awfully far afield. We give this company our lowest ranking and recommend that you choose a different provider for your DNA testing.