Function Health vs. InsideTracker: Which health service offers more benefits?

Your body constantly sends signals to inform you of its needs. While some of them are easy to recognize and cause physical changes, others require you to look more closely. One way to read these signals is with biomarker testing, which can reveal critical insights about various bodily processes and help you nurture your body in a targeted and efficient way.

Services like Function Health and InsideTracker have simplified the process of analyzing and monitoring biomarkers. Although they share the goal of helping you manage your health, they achieve it through slightly different means.

This Function Health vs. InsideTracker comparison will explain what those means are and reveal other key differentiators of these popular services. You’ll read about their testing processes, quality of insights, pricing, and user experience. 

InsideTracker vs. Function Health: Know the basics

Function Health and InsideTracker offer lab testing, but they offer distinct data interpretations and unique services. Review the basic information about these companies in the table below before we get into the specifics and what they mean for you:

| Company                        | Function Health                                               | InsideTracker                                                                              |
| ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Services                       | • Lab testing<br>• Clinician summary<br>• Follow-up testing | • Lab testing<br>• Fitness tracker data<br>• Custom action plan<br>• Follow-up testing               |
| Types of tests                 | • Blood<br> • Urine                                           | • Blood<br> • DNA (cheek swab)                                                                   |
| Lab partner                    | Quest Diagnostics                                             | Quest Diagnostics                                                                          |
| Number of biomarkers tested    | 100+                                                          | 26 or 48                                                                                   |
| Option of mobile blood draws   | No                                                            | Yes (in select locations)                                                                  |
| Ability to upload test results | No                                                            | Yes                                                                                        |
| Turnaround time                | 2–3 weeks                                                     | • Blood test: 7–10 days<br>• DNA test: 4–6 weeks                                               |
| Pricing                        | $42/month ($499/year)                                         | $761/year                                                                                  |
| HSA/FSA eligibility            | Yes                                                           | Yes                                                                                        |
| Location availability          | U.S.                                                          | U.S. and Canada                                                                            |
| Availability status            | In beta                                                       | Publicly available

Function Health: In-depth testing with clinician-reviewed results

Founded in 2023, Function Health is a relatively new service with significant popularity. One reason may be Dr. Mark Hyman, the company’s Chief Medical Officer and celebrity in the health and wellness space.

Function Health allows you to order a lab test online in minutes. The test looks at over 100 biomarkers, but you can include additional ones as needed. Besides revealing your current health status, these biomarkers can indicate your risk for many diseases and conditions, including diabetes, lupus, and stroke. 

Once you provide your blood and urine sample to an eligible lab, you’ll get your physician-reviewed results online. About a week later, you’ll receive a clinician’s summary to better explain the findings and help you make the right health decisions. 

Source: Function Health

Function Health is a membership-based service. The price includes a re-test three to six months after the initial test. All your results will be stored in the online dashboard so you can easily monitor your progress over time. 

Note that Function Health is still in the beta phase — the platform hasn’t been fully developed and will likely undergo frequent changes. As the service is not public yet, you’ll need to apply for early access and wait for a spot to open before you can use it.

InsideTracker: All-in-one app to analyze and manage your health

InsideTracker is an app launched in 2013 and has since evolved to be a powerful health tool used by many biohackers. The app can consolidate data from various sources, such as your blood test, DNA test, and fitness tracker, and give you personalized tips to improve your health. InsideTracker offers blood testing services and at-home DNA test kits, but you can also upload your existing data if you have it. 

Once you provide all the data, InsideTracker will score your health across 10 categories:

1. Gut health

2. Metabolism

3. Fitness

4. Endurance

5. Hormone balance

6. Inflammation

7. Heart health

8. Cognition

9. Sleep

10. Recovery

The app will then provide an action plan that considers your goals and includes recommendations for diet, supplements, and other health-promoting strategies. You can also keep track of your health progress and schedule re-testing.

Source: InsideTracker

Like Function Health, InsideTracker is membership-based, offering various plans to cater to your needs. You can choose the complexity of your blood test and even include add-on analyses such as Estradiol + Progesterone and InnerAge, which calculates your biological age. 

Bonus read: Check out our top list of InsideTracker alternatives and see how the service compares to SiPhox Health and Marek Health.

Function Health vs. InsideTracker: Comparison across five key factors

Our research team has investigated Function Health and InsideTracker in-depth to help you understand how they measure up in crucial aspects such as accuracy and user experience. Learn more in the following sections:

1. Variety of analyses

2. Accuracy of results

3. Quality of recommendations

4. Pricing options

5. User experience

1. Variety of analyses 

Function Health’s initial test targets more than 100 biomarkers, whereas its follow-up test looks at around 60. The tests cover over 20 health categories, including heart health, immune regulation, and nutrients. You can also purchase more advanced lab tests, such as the Multi-Cancer Detection Test and various STD tests. 

Function Health’s tests analyze a few genetic markers, such as the Apolipoprotein (a), which indicates risk for Alzheimer’s disease. 

That said, InsideTracker offers a separate DNA test that targets 20,000 genetic markers and 38 wellness traits related to the ten healthspan areas. As for blood analyses, InsideTracker lets you choose between two types:

1. Fundamental: Tests 26 biomarkers

2. Ultimate: Tests 48 biomarkers

While its most advanced blood test is less comprehensive than Function Health’s, InsideTracker works with more data overall. The app integrates your DNA, blood, and fitness tracker data for a more complete health analysis.

Bonus read — Discover other popular health testing services with our reviews:

• SiPhox Health review

• Everlywell reviews

• Lifeforce Diagnostics reviews

• Viome reviews

2. Accuracy of results 

InsideTracker and Function Health partner with Quest Diagnostics to provide blood draws and analyses. As Quest’s labs have CLIA and CAP certifications, they abide by strict standards for quality and accuracy of testing, so your results should be reliable.

Still, note that Function Health and InsideTracker may sometimes consider different reference ranges than your doctor and thus provide different interpretations. In case of a concerning result, it’s best to schedule a consultation with your physician before taking action.

It’s also important to know that neither platform can offer trustworthy and comprehensive insights into your genetic profile and its effect on your health. 

Although InsideTracker’s DNA test encompasses 20,000 markers, these represent only a small percentage of your DNA — less than 0.1%. The test is not suitable for detecting rare genetic variants (your unique DNA differences), some of which can make a big difference in your life. 

Tip 💡

If you want an in-depth analysis of your genetic health predispositions, opt for a whole-genome test like Nucleus Premium. Nucleus reads nearly 100% of your DNA and offers clinical-grade screening for hundreds of diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, cancers, and mental health conditions.

By testing with Nucleus, you’ll also get an analysis of hereditary diseases and conditions your family may be predisposed to, as well as genetic traits like longevity and muscle strength. Your results will be detailed but easy to follow, including actionable advice to improve your health.

[X](https://x.com/packyM/status/1829271062884000187)(650)

3. Quality of recommendations

Neither Function Health nor InsideTracker offers physician consultations, but they provide results you can interpret easily.

With Function Health, your results will be accompanied by the clinician’s summary, which includes explanations of your biomarkers and advice on the next steps. The company uses AI to create these summaries, though it claims that it involves clinicians in the process.

Besides offering explanations and recommendations, InsideTracker will include helpful charts to help you understand your results and track biomarker changes over time. It will also provide scores for the ten health categories it tests for. That way, you can identify priorities and focus on their improvement first instead of trying to change everything simultaneously. 

Source: InsideTracker

InsideTracker’s action plans are fully AI-generated, but the company states that its engine is trained on thousands of expert-approved clinical studies.

Although users of both services generally enjoyed how their results were presented, many complained about the recommendations, claiming they seemed generic and impersonal. Read about one Function Health user’s thoughts:

[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/PeterAttia/comments/1gs5yor/comment/lxdani5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1)

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4. Pricing options

Function Health charges $42 monthly for its service or bills you annually at $499. The service includes the initial test, the follow-up test, clinician summaries, and access to the dashboard where you can track your results. You can purchase more biomarker tests as add-ons. 

Unlike Function Health, InsideTracker offers several pricing options — see what they are below:

|                              |           |
| ---------------------------- | --------- |
| InsideTracker Membership     | $149/year |
| Membership + Foundation test | $348/year |
| Membership + Ultimate test   | $489/year |
| DNA kit                      | $249

If you purchase only the membership, you’ll get access to the app, the ability to upload your blood test and DNA data, and discounts for Ultimate or Foundation tests. InsideTracker also offers bundles with multiple tests, which you can use as follow-ups later or share with your friends and family.

That said, InsideTracker is more expensive than Function Health. While InsideTracker charges $761 a year for platform access and two Ultimate tests, Function Health is only $499. Many users believe that InsideTracker’s additional benefits, such as fitness tracker integration and DNA testing, aren’t worth the cost difference. 

In contrast, many reviews praise Function Health for offering a comprehensive blood test for an accessible price and having an excellent cost-to-value ratio:

[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/blueprint_/comments/1ebxp37/comment/leyzdue/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1)(240)

Note that InsideTracker and Function Health don’t accept insurance, but they are HSA/FSA-eligible, so you can potentially reduce the total cost of testing.

5. User experience

Looking at the reviews, both platforms have many satisfied users, but Function Health seems to provide a smoother user experience overall. Customers report that the platform has a well-designed interface that makes it easy to order tests and that its customer service is satisfactory. Here’s what one user shared:

[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/PeterAttia/comments/1c3ue3z/comment/kzkdjx4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)(500)

Still, note that Function Health testing may require two lab visits and 10 vials of blood for each, which can be an issue for people with a fear of blood draws or related phobias.

While many reviewers found InsideTracker’s app polished and easy to use, some have reported issues with uploading their blood test data. Similarly, customer support was responsive and helpful for some users, but others reported not receiving help when they needed it.

Bonus read — Learn what type of user experience other testing services provide:

• CircleDNA review

• Viome vs. Zoe

• Tiny Health reviews

Function Health vs. InsideTracker: Takeaways

If lab testing is your main target, Function Health is the better option because it’s more comprehensive and affordable. InsideTracker is a suitable option for those who want to manage all their health data in one handy app and don’t mind paying extra for it. As the lifestyle recommendations aren’t great with either service, you may need to do additional research or schedule an appointment with your doctor.

While InsideTracker offers to analyze your DNA, the test is limited in its scope and can’t provide a comprehensive assessment of your health. For a more advanced analysis, go with Nucleus, an all-in-one DNA platform that uses the latest whole-genome sequencing technology.

Nucleus will analyze nearly 100% of your DNA, including rare and high-effect variants that InsideTracker’s test overlooks. Because of that, Nucleus can evaluate your risk for hundreds of diseases and conditions with 99.9% accuracy. 

Instead of generic recommendations, you’ll get actionable advice to maintain and optimize your health. Nucleus can also connect you with a board-certified genetic counselor if you want expert guidance on your results and the best course of action.

Nucleus: Detailed genetic health analysis at an accessible price

By analyzing your genetic makeup with Nucleus, you can access crucial information to guide your health decisions, prevent problems, and potentially prolong your life. 

While Function Health and InsideTracker mainly target common health problems, Nucleus will screen for over 800 diseases and conditions, including rare ones like male breast cancer. Besides your genetic risk, Nucleus will provide absolute risk scores that consider both your genetics and non-genetic factors like age, which can significantly impact your health. You’ll also learn about:

• Diseases and conditions that your children may inherit

• Your genetic intelligence score

• Other genetically influenced traits, such as height and longevity

The reports are written in clear language and easy to understand, but you can get additional input by consulting with a geneticist from SteadyMD’s network.

Despite being one of the most comprehensive DNA tests available, Nucleus is accessible and costs only $399 — slightly more than InsideTracker’s genotyping test. The price includes the test kit, free shipping, and all available health and trait reports. 

Get your blueprint for better health with Nucleus Premium

Since Nucleus requires only a simple cheek swab, you can collect the sample at home in minutes and mail it to the lab. There’s no need to schedule or attend any blood draws. Once the lab gets your sample, your results will be ready within six to eight weeks, and you can view them securely online.  

You can also choose to receive updated reports as Nucleus uncovers more information about genetics and your risk factors.

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Here’s how you can order your test kit:

1. Sign up for Nucleus Premium

2. Provide your personal information

3. Place the order

Your sample and data will be in great hands as Nucleus complies with HIPAA and works with certified U.S. labs that abide by high standards for the quality of analyses.

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Featured image source: Pixabay