How Varia Compares
Four tools for analyzing your raw DNA file. One built for editorial discipline. The other three each fail it in a different way.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Varia | Promethease | Genomelink | FoundMyFitness | Nutrahacker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free scan + preview. $29 one-time unlock. $12 Early Adopter rate during the launch period. Differentiator: privacy-by-architecture + editorial curation, not price. | $25 per report | $29 one-time tier (third-party-verified May 2026); subscription from $14/mo | $25 per report; donation model | Free Detox/Methylation report; $37 microarray report; additional reports priced separately |
| Source register | Tier 1 / Tier 2 peer-reviewed journal allowlist; named consortia (CPIC, GWAS Catalog, PharmGKB) | SNPedia (community-curated) | Trait library; mixed curation depth | SNPedia-derivative | Proprietary; supplement-protocol oriented |
| Privacy | File never leaves your browser. Architecturally enforced. | File uploaded to Promethease servers; deleted within 24 hours (guest) or up to 45 days (account holders) | Server-side processing | Server-side processing | Server-side processing of BAM/CRAM via cloud-link upload |
| WGS support | Accepts WGS VCF directly; processes client-side in seconds | Chip data only; rejects WGS | Chip data only | Chip data only; rejects WGS | Accepts BAM/CRAM via time-limited cloud-link upload; 4 to 6 hour server-side processing latency |
| Recommendation boundary | Describes variants and cites literature; defers all recommendations to your physician | Surfaces raw associations without curation | Trait-oriented output; not clinical-grade curation | Prescribes supplement and dietary protocols at the variant level | Recommendation engine by design; SNP-conditional supplement output, declared in their FAQ |
| Output style | Plain-English interpretation, 12 organized domains, significance tiers | Dense technical output; color-coded SNP list | Trait reports and app-style summaries | Variant-by-variant supplement guidance | Symptom-questionnaire-driven supplement recommendations |
| Database scope | 84 curated variants across 12 clinical domains; 221 insights | 100,000+ SNPs from SNPedia (unfiltered) | Broad trait coverage; depth varies by trait | SNPedia-derivative coverage | Genes targeted in supplement-protocol pathways |
| Database updates | Monthly editorial review; free re-scans against the evolving database | Separate report fee per database update | Subscription model for ongoing access | Not surfaced | Not surfaced |
| Formats supported | VCF (including WGS), 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage | Most chip formats; VCF support varies | Major consumer raw-data formats | Chip raw data | Chip raw data ($37 report); BAM/CRAM (WGS Store products) |
| Owned by | Kairos Studios LLC (independent, Massachusetts) | MyHeritage (acquired 2019) | Genomelink Inc. | FoundMyFitness 501(c)(3) nonprofit | Nutrahacker LLC |
If you've used Promethease
Promethease covers depth Varia does not try to match: every association in SNPedia, regardless of evidence strength, surfaced for $12. If your goal is exhaustive enumeration of every documented SNP claim, Promethease will give you more rows. Varia is the opposite trade. Fewer variants, each with Tier 1 or Tier 2 peer-reviewed citations and a documented editorial process. Most Promethease users we talk to come to Varia for the interpretation layer Promethease leaves to you.
If you've used FoundMyFitness
FoundMyFitness reads from SNPedia-derivative source material and produces variant-conditional supplement and dietary guidance. That is the recommendation-boundary line Varia draws explicitly: we will tell you what variant you carry and cite the literature, and we will not tell you what supplement to take or what diet to follow. Those are conversations for you and your physician. If you found FoundMyFitness's supplement protocols difficult to act on without provider input, the Varia Genomic Brief is built for exactly that handoff.
If you've used Nutrahacker
Nutrahacker is a recommendation engine by design. Their FAQ acknowledges that conflicts between supplement recommendations are expected because the engine recommends at the SNP level. The upload flow asks you to self-report 30 or more conditions (including some that are contested as clinical diagnoses) and conditions the output on those answers. Varia takes a different approach: no symptom questionnaire, no supplement output, no recommendation engine. We tell you what's in your file, cite the literature behind each finding, and route action through your physician.
Who should use which
Use Promethease if you have a genetics background and want maximum SNP coverage at low cost. Use FoundMyFitness if you want supplement guidance and trust the nonprofit's editorial framing. Use Nutrahacker if you want a SNP-conditional supplement engine and are comfortable answering the symptom questionnaire.
Use Varia if you want peer-reviewed interpretation of the variants that matter most, your DNA file to never leave your device, and a clinician-ready Brief you can share with your physician.
For the technical context on scan types and finder architecture, see The Genome.