Provisional Spring 2026 issueScores are based on public information, pending reader-supported independent testing.Methodology →
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Volume IX · Issue 4 · Spring 2026Independent · Reader-supported · No affiliate linksSaturday, April 18, 2026
The Spring 2026 field guide · Post-Nebula edition

We read every whole genome sequencing company so you don't have to spit into eleven tubes.

The post-Nebula field is no longer one neat list. Eleven labs now ship whole genome sequencingWGSWhole Genome Sequencing — reading (nearly) all 3 billion base pairs of your DNA, as opposed to genotyping arrays which sample ~600,000 known positions. across four distinct categories — mainstream health (30× with broad reports), clinical prescription-mediated (counselor-led, preventive), genealogy-first (sometimes low-passLP-WGSLow-pass whole genome sequencing — WGS at ~1× average depth. Covers the whole genome but with much lower per-position confidence; used today for cost-efficient genealogy applications, not for clinical variant calling.), and interpretation-only add-ons. We score them on five dimensions, explain what changes between categories, and walk you through the lab workflow with animated diagrams.

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Leaderboard · Spring 2026

Eleven sequencers, four categories, one leaderboard.

Scored on 5 dimensions · Click any row →

01
Sequencing.com
Recommended
Short-read (30× clinical-grade), US·Standard 8–10 weeks · Expedited 5–7 weeks · Ultra Rapid 2–3 weeks (paid tiers)·From $399
Best value if you like to tinker, with the widest shipping-speed menu. Sequencing.com's April 2026 pricing now explicitly offers three turnaround tiers — Standard (8–10 wk), Expedited (5–7 wk), and Ultra Rapid (2–3 wk) — which makes it the only category player with a paid fast-lane. The marketplace model remains its real strength and real risk: an app store for your genome is unmatched in breadth and unforgivable if you install the wrong third-party tool without reading its privacy policy.
83
/100
Accuracy
85
Coverage
86
Reports
92
Privacy
70
Value
90
02
Nucleus Genomics
Recommended
Short-read on Illumina NovaSeq X Plus (official Illumina partnership, US-sequenced)·4–6 weeks·From $499
Best polished UX in the category, but increasingly reproductive-screening led. Nucleus sequences on Illumina's newest instrument, ships the cleanest consumer app we've seen, and keeps reports fresh via a $39/yr membership. What has shifted since last issue is the marketing: future-child health, embryo analysis, and IVF add-ons are now front-and-center. That reproductive framing is the company's single biggest differentiator and also its single biggest ethical liability, and a reader who buys Nucleus should buy it with eyes open on both counts.
82
/100
Accuracy
88
Coverage
90
Reports
92
Privacy
70
Value
78
03
Veritas Genetics
Recommended
Short-read (Illumina), CLIA-certified laboratory·12–16 weeks·From $599
Best clinician-style preventive WGS, with the highest access friction. Veritas is the only consumer WGS in 2026 that treats whole-genome reading as a preventive-medicine intervention rather than a consumer product — pre- and post-test counselor sessions are both included and both substantive, and the report is formatted for a physician to act on. The prescription gate is a real barrier that hands the casual market to competitors; the counselor-mediated structure is why the people who use it get more value than any other category.
80
/100
Accuracy
95
Coverage
92
Reports
86
Privacy
82
Value
58
04
SelfDecode
Recommended
Short-read, 30× clinical-grade, through partner labs·6–10 weeks·From $399
Interpretation-heavy health WGS. SelfDecode is the strongest reporting layer in the category — ACMG SF v3.3, 800+ pharmacogenomic medications, rare-variant screening — all built on a standard 30× short-read genome. Its distinguishing bet is that interpretation is the product, sequencing is a commodity. Buy this if you value the report depth over sequencing-provenance transparency.
78
/100
Accuracy
84
Coverage
86
Reports
94
Privacy
72
Value
78
05
MyHeritage
Recommended
Low-pass whole genome sequencing (LP-WGS) via Ultima Genomics wafer technology; processed at Gene by Gene (Houston, TX)·6–10 weeks·From $89
Best new genealogy-focused WGS entrant. MyHeritage's October 2025 move to low-pass whole genome sequencing — via an Ultima Genomics wafer partnership and Gene by Gene's Houston lab — is the single biggest shake-up of the consumer-DNA market in 2025. It is not a 30× health lab and we do not score it against mainstream-health peers; it is the right answer for family-history research at a price no other WGS provider approaches.
76
/100
Accuracy
84
Coverage
62
Reports
72
Privacy
74
Value
92
06
tellmeGen Ultra
Recommended
Short-read, 30× whole genome·6–10 weeks·From $349
European all-in-one contender. tellmeGen's Ultra WGS gets the 30× product to shelves at $349 with 600+ reports, a tellmeGen+ subscription that keeps reports current, and GDPR-aligned EU storage. Accuracy and variant-call quality remain provisional pending our testing. The subscription dependency matters for value scoring: without tellmeGen+, the product becomes a one-shot read.
76
/100
Accuracy
82
Coverage
86
Reports
88
Privacy
78
Value
80
07
Full Genomes Corporation
Niche Pick
Short-read + long-read options depending on product·8–12 weeks·From $750
Niche pick for serious genealogists. Y Elite remains the single best product on the market for deep Y-haplogroup work — MyHeritage's LP-WGS doesn't touch the same problem. Not a general recommendation for a first-time buyer; exactly right for a specific committed audience.
74
/100
Accuracy
86
Coverage
94
Reports
62
Privacy
74
Value
68
08
DNA Complete
Recommended
Short-read, Illumina-based, sequenced at ProPhase Labs' own and partner labs·8–12 weeks·From $399
The Nebula-estate successor. ProPhase Labs — Nebula's parent — launched DNA Complete in November 2024, and after the Feb 2025 shutdown of Nebula's own consumer service it's the closest product to an "official" continuation. Ownership is the same; the privacy-first positioning that made Nebula distinctive is not. Worth considering on name-recognition and routing flexibility; not yet distinguishable on track record.
72
/100
Accuracy
84
Coverage
86
Reports
78
Privacy
76
Value
72
09
YSEQ
Niche Pick
Short-read (Illumina), in-house lab in Berlin·6–10 weeks·From $579
European niche pick for enthusiast genealogists. Built for buyers who already know what they're asking for. Pay per test, assemble your own picture, no hand-holding. For European readers who want data residency and for genealogy enthusiasts generally, it remains the cleanest option — provided you're not here for health insights.
72
/100
Accuracy
88
Coverage
80
Reports
60
Privacy
84
Value
74
10
Genomapp
Tool, Not a Lab
Interpretation app — consumes raw data from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, or any WGS provider·Minutes (after you upload your raw file)·From $15
Interpretation add-on, not a lab. The 2025 database update meaningfully improved BRCA, CFTR, and APOE coverage, which makes it a better companion than it was last issue. Worth bolting onto any WGS purchase — MyHeritage's new LP-WGS raw files included, once MyHeritage ships the download. Explicitly not a substitute for a sequencer.
72
/100
Accuracy
78
Coverage
70
Reports
88
Privacy
80
Value
92
11
Dante Labs
Proceed With Care
Short-read + optional long-read · ISO 15189 claims · L'Aquila, IT·Advertised 8 weeks. Reader reports routinely 6–10+ months through 2025; Trustpilot (1.8/5) and BBB (F) reflect the gap·From $199
Aggressive feature/value play, but trust still needs careful vetting. The 2026 Dante product pitch is the strongest it has ever been — ISO 15189 claims, 200+ physician-ready reports, automatic updates, a $199 entry price. The operational record is the category's worst. Our own reader-funded delivery timing through 2025 had a median of six months against an advertised eight weeks; BBB and Trustpilot say what they say. If you buy Dante in 2026, buy it eyes-open to that gap.
62
/100
Accuracy
80
Coverage
86
Reports
78
Privacy
70
Value
64
Field guide

From spit tube to variant call, in 60 seconds.

Deep dive →

01
Collection
Saliva in a preservation buffer. Cells lyse; DNA goes into stable solution for the flight to the lab.
02
Extraction
A silica column pulls DNA out of protein, RNA and cell debris. 2–5 µg of purified DNA is needed.
03
Library prep
DNA is sheared into ~350 bp fragments and tagged with adapters — the barcodes that let the sequencer know which sample is whose.
04
Sequencing
Fragments are read on an Illumina NovaSeq in both directions, 150 bases at a time, ~900 million reads per genome.
05
Alignment
Each read is mapped back to the GRCh38 reference genome. Repetitive regions get multiple plausible homes.
06
Variant calling
Positions where your genome differs from the reference become a VCF: ~4–5 million variants, mostly harmless.
07
Interpretation
A fraction of variants match known clinical or trait databases. These become the reports you actually read.
Interactive

What does “30× coverage” actually look like?

Each square is one position in a 2,400-base stretch of chromosome 7 — the same region the CFTR gene lives in. Drag the slider to change how many times the sequencer reads each position. Dimmed squares are positions the caller doesn't trust yet.

30×
Called confidentlyLow-confidenceUncovered
28% of the region is called confidently at this depth.Consumer WGS sweet spot (30×).
Build your shortlist

Pick up to three. We'll run the numbers.

Sequencing.com
Short-read (30× clinical-grade), US
Nucleus Genomics
Short-read on Illumina NovaSeq X Plus (official Illumina partnership, US-sequenced)
Veritas Genetics
Short-read (Illumina), CLIA-certified laboratory
Swap in
DimensionSequencing.comNucleus GenomicsVeritas Genetics
ScoreScore83 /10082 /10080 /100
TierTierRecommendedRecommendedRecommended
FromFrom$399$499$599
TechTechShort-read (30× clinical-grade), USShort-read on Illumina NovaSeq X Plus (official Illumina partnership, US-sequenced)Short-read (Illumina), CLIA-certified laboratory
TurnaroundTimeStandard 8–10 weeks · Expedited 5–7 weeks · Ultra Rapid 2–3 weeks (paid tiers)4–6 weeks12–16 weeks
Raw dataRawYes (FASTQ/BAM/VCF)Yes (FASTQ/BAM/VCF)Yes (FASTQ/BAM/VCF)
AccuracyAcc
85
88
95
CoverageCov
86
90
92
ReportsRep
92
92
86
PrivacyPriv
70
70
82
ValueVal
90
78
58
VerdictVerdictBest value if you like to tinker, with the widest shipping-speed menu. Sequencing.com's April 2026 pricing now explicitly offers three turnaround tiers — Standard (8–10 wk), Expedited (5–7 wk), and Ultra Rapid (2–3 wk) — which makes it the only category player with a paid fast-lane. The marketplace model remains its real strength and real risk: an app store for your genome is unmatched in breadth and unforgivable if you install the wrong third-party tool without reading its privacy policy.Best polished UX in the category, but increasingly reproductive-screening led. Nucleus sequences on Illumina's newest instrument, ships the cleanest consumer app we've seen, and keeps reports fresh via a $39/yr membership. What has shifted since last issue is the marketing: future-child health, embryo analysis, and IVF add-ons are now front-and-center. That reproductive framing is the company's single biggest differentiator and also its single biggest ethical liability, and a reader who buys Nucleus should buy it with eyes open on both counts.Best clinician-style preventive WGS, with the highest access friction. Veritas is the only consumer WGS in 2026 that treats whole-genome reading as a preventive-medicine intervention rather than a consumer product — pre- and post-test counselor sessions are both included and both substantive, and the report is formatted for a physician to act on. The prescription gate is a real barrier that hands the casual market to competitors; the counselor-mediated structure is why the people who use it get more value than any other category.
Latest

Reviews & research, fresh off the bench.

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Utah and South Dakota enacted genetic privacy laws in 2026, but gaps remain
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The four categories of WGS in 2026, and why you should care which one you're buying
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Nucleus Genomics: the post-Nebula frontrunner, and the IVF positioning it keeps stepping on
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Coverage depth, explained: why 30× isn't the ceiling — and when 1× is enough
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Nebula Genomics is gone. DNA Complete is the successor. Here's what Nebula subscribers should do.
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Long-read sequencing dips below $1,000, but not where you need it
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Polygenic risk scores are not diagnoses. Stop selling them like they are.
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News & research

What the field is arguing about this week.

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