DNA Testing Companies for Genealogy
There are several testing companies out there that do DNA testing for genealogy now. At this point, I am recommending Family Tree DNA as my preferred company for a myriad of reasons...better DNA markers, better customer service, better website infrastructure, better matching/notification system, more options for additional testing, larger database, etc., etc., etc...
Also, something to keep in mind when choosing a testing company is that this website you are viewing now is solely supported by me and is independent of any test company. If for whatever reason I can no longer support the website and no one takes it over from me, you will be left with the inherent project/website of whatever testing company you chose to be tested with.
Because of the difficulties associated with comparing results, if you should decide to use a different test company than FTDNA, you should consider it a requirement that you'll need to enter your results in Family Tree DNA's public Y-DNA database Y-search at http://www.ysearch.org. There is no cost do this, and Y-search will allow you (and me) to detect matches with other Gilberts in that database without having to do manual marker-by-marker comparisons. Y-search facilitates automated upload from the FTDNA, but results from other test companies must be entered manually.
At this point, I don't recommend any tests lower than the 37 or 33 marker tests you see below. Lower marker tests have proven to be inconclusive on too many occasions. There are some exceptions to this rule, however, usually involving when you're trying prove a connection to a well-tested line. Sometimes a lower marker test will suffice for this purpose, but if you shouldn't match as expected, you could be left with too few markers to determine other matches reliably. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Below is information on the testing companies where Gilbert "projects" have been established for organizational and/or discount purposes.
Test Pricing
Y-DNA 37 Marker Test - $149* + $4 shipping (matches 32 of the other labs' 43 marker test)
Y-DNA 67 Marker Test - $239 + $4 shipping (matches 34 of the other labs' 43 marker test)
Join the Family Tree DNA Gilbert Project Here
Full 43 Marker Panel - $137.77* (matches 32 of Family Tree DNA's 37 markers)
Join the DNA Heritage Gilbert Project Here
33 Marker Test - $79 + shipping and tax
46 Marker Test - $149 + shipping and tax
* Project Discount Price