How to Cancel Ancestry.com & Delete Your DNA Data (2026 Guide)
Updated 2026-02-24 · 6 min read
Ancestry costs $24.99/month (US Discovery), $39.99/month (World Explorer), or $49.99/month (All Access). After the initial excitement of seeing your DNA results and family tree, most people stop using it. Meanwhile, Ancestry keeps charging. Here's how to cancel the subscription and request deletion of your DNA data if you want.
Ancestry will offer retention deals (often 50% off) — decline if you're done
Confirm cancellation
Access continues until end of billing period
💡 What You Keep Free: After canceling, you still have free access to your DNA results (ethnicity estimate and DNA matches), your family tree, and any records you've already saved/attached. You lose access to Ancestry's full record database for searching.
Step 2 (Optional): Delete Your DNA Data
Canceling your subscription does NOT delete your DNA sample or data. If you want to fully remove your genetic information:
This permanently deletes your DNA results, matches, and ethnicity data
To also delete your physical DNA sample, contact Ancestry at 1-800-262-3787 and request physical sample destruction
🔴 DNA Privacy Concerns:
Ancestry has handed over DNA data to law enforcement via subpoena (confirmed in transparency reports)
Your DNA can identify your relatives even if they never took a test (familial DNA matching)
Ancestry's privacy policy allows use of anonymized/aggregate DNA data for research
23andMe (a competitor) filed for bankruptcy in 2024, raising questions about what happens to DNA data when companies go under
Download Your Data First
Download your raw DNA data: DNA → Settings → Download Raw DNA Data. Save this file — you can upload it to free services like GEDmatch or Prometheus
Export your family tree: Tree → Settings → Export Tree → GEDCOM. This standard format works in most genealogy software
Save individual records: Download or screenshot any historical records you've found (census, immigration, military records)
Free Genealogy Alternatives
FamilySearch.org (free) — Run by the LDS Church. 7+ billion records, completely free. This is the best free alternative to Ancestry
FindAGrave.com (free) — Cemetery records and headstone photos. Owned by Ancestry but free
GEDmatch (free) — Upload your raw DNA data for matches across multiple databases
Your local library — Many libraries offer free Ancestry.com Library Edition access on-site
National Archives (archives.gov) — Free access to federal records, census data, and military records
The Retention Offer Playbook
Ancestry is aggressive with retention offers. When you try to cancel:
First offer: usually 50% off for 6 months
Second offer (if you decline): sometimes 60-70% off
If you do want to keep Ancestry but at a lower price, threatening to cancel and accepting the retention offer is a legitimate strategy
Some users cancel and resubscribe during Black Friday sales ($99/year vs $300/year regular price)
🔍 Forgotten Subscription Alert: Ancestry is one of the most commonly forgotten subscriptions — people sign up after getting a DNA kit as a gift, explore for a week, and pay $25-50/month for years. Upload your bank statement to JustCancel to catch charges like this.