Chronological age counts birthdays. Biological age counts how well your cells actually work. BioAge tests make that gap measurable — through DNA methylation, IgG glycosylation or functional blood markers. Here's the independent 2026 comparison.
Five in-depth sub-pages answer the most common BioAge questions:
A BioAge test estimates your biological age — the functional state of your cells — and compares it to your chronological age (birthday age). Most commercial tests use DNA methylation patterns at hundreds of CpG sites in your genome. These patterns change with age in remarkably consistent ways, providing a measurable clock.
The scientific groundwork was laid by Steve Horvath (UCLA, 2013), Gregory Hannum (2013) and later Morgan Levine (PhenoAge 2018) and Ake Lu (GrimAge 2019). The latest generation — DunedinPACE (Belsky et al. 2022) and OMICmAge (TruDiagnostic 2024) — doesn't just measure age itself, it measures the pace at which someone is aging.
Four families of BioAge tests dominate the 2026 market:
The gold-standard method. Measures methylation at CpG sites, weighted by algorithms (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge, DunedinPACE). Samples are typically dried blood or saliva. Reproducibility is high, but single-point scores are only rough — the trajectory over multiple tests is the real signal.
GlycanAge analyzes IgG glycan profiles in blood. More responsive to chronic inflammatory load (inflammaging) than methylation clocks — and faster to reflect lifestyle change. Scientific basis: Krištić et al. 2014, Russell et al. 2017.
OMICmAge (TruDiagnostic 2024) integrates DNA methylation with metabolomics and clinical markers. Theoretically more accurate, practically harder to validate externally, but state of the art in the premium tier.
InsideTracker InnerAge and similar services calculate a "biological age" from classic lab markers (albumin, CRP, HbA1c, lipids). Affordable, but methodologically closer to lifestyle coaching than to biogerontology research.
Before ordering, four questions decide which test fits:
If you only plan one measurement, a cheap entry-level test (PhenoAge or functional) is enough. If you want to track lifestyle optimization with data, stick with one provider and retest every 6 to 12 months — comparability across providers is limited.
Static clocks (GrimAge, PhenoAge, OMICmAge) return a number in years. PACE clocks (DunedinPACE) return a speed (1.0 = normal). For tracking, PACE is usually more sensitive — shorter lifestyle phases show up.
Dried blood (fingerstick) is the most convenient and the standard at TruDiagnostic and Epimorphy. Saliva is even easier but methodologically slightly less robust. Venous blood at a clinic is required for InsideTracker Ultimate and some premium bundles.
US providers operate under different privacy regimes than EU labs. If you prefer not to send DNA data to third countries, choose EU-processing providers (GlycanAge UK/HR; some TruDiagnostic EU partners).
A single BioAge result (e.g. "biological age 38, chronological 45") should be read with care. The measurement standard deviation is typically 1 – 3 years depending on the clock — small deviations from chronological age are often noise. The real signal emerges from a trend over at least two to three measurements.
What you can reasonably derive from a trajectory: whether specific lifestyle interventions (nutrition change, training program, sleep hygiene, sauna routine, supplement stack) have measurable impact. That's the actual value of these tests — not the shock moment at first result, but the ability to calibrate self-experiments.
A BioAge test estimates your biological age — the functional state of your cells — usually via DNA methylation at specific CpG sites. It can differ by more than 10 years from your chronological age.
Prices range from $150 (PhenoAge entry tests) to $499 (TruDiagnostic OMICmAge including DunedinPACE). GlycanAge is around $299, InsideTracker $349.
A 6 to 12 month cadence makes sense — shorter intervals rarely show lifestyle change clearly. DunedinPACE responds faster than static clocks.
GrimAge returns a biological age in years (mortality-trained). DunedinPACE returns a pace of aging (1.0 = normal). For tracking lifestyle impact, DunedinPACE is often more sensitive.
They are scientifically validated (Horvath, Levine, Lu, Belsky) but not diagnostic devices. They complement medical checkups, they don't replace them.
Lifestyle levers are documented: resistance training, zone-2 cardio, sleep regularity, sauna, Omega-3 index above 8 %, Mediterranean eating patterns, stress regulation.