Why is my ancestry different from that of another company?

When comparing results from different companies it may happen that the ancestry DNA test assignments are different. This is mainly due to the fact that each company uses its own reference populations and analysis methodology. 

The basis of ancestry testing lies in comparing the user’s DNA with that of thousands of reference individuals from known and registered ethnicities and regions.

As different reference populations are used as a base, with each company additionally utilizing its own database, discrepancies may arise between them. Depending on the company and the references it has used, the genetic variants assigned to an ethnicity may differ from those of another company, without either being incorrect in the procedure.

Furthermore, each genetic testing company has its own algorithms and methodologies for ancestry analysis. The combination of different databases, genetic variants, and algorithms can lead to different conclusions.

These discrepancies will be more pronounced in individuals with a more heterogeneous and varied genome.