« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 22 March 17 11:05 GMT (UK) »
I'm in the UK and even though it has fewer UK people on its database I chose FTDNA because I didn't want to be tied in to an Ancestry subscription.
I think I read somewhere that FTDNA and Ancestry use the same chipset, whatever that means, but I could be imagining it or that might have changed so don't quote me. I think that what they're able to test is the same, but they may place different interpretations on the results (in terms of ethnicity for instance, the two companies have differently named areas of the world which don't directly map against each other).
You're not restricted to matches provided by just the company you test with. You can upload your autosomal results to GEDMatch from different companies (FTDNA, Ancestry and 23andMe plus probably others too). Also FTDNA will accept (without charge) results from other companies. As will MyHeritage.
I tested nearly 2 years ago now and if I was doing the same again, I'd still take the same route as I did then.
best wishes
Jane : )
ALLEN
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