At-Home Blood Test Options: Kits, Online Lab Orders, and Which Include Folate

An at-home blood test is any test you order yourself, without a separate doctor's visit, where the blood is either collected at home with a finger prick and mailed to a lab, or drawn at a local lab after you buy the test online. Which route you choose matters more than most people expect: in October 2026, the finger-prick kit companies we checked did not list a folate test, while every major online lab-order service we checked did.¹²³⁴⁵⁶ This hub explains the three main types, how to judge a service, which services include folate and vitamin B12, and how they compare on the facts each company publishes.

We have not used these services ourselves. Everything below comes from each company's own pages, checked on October 2, 2026, plus government sources on lab quality and screening. Prices change often, so confirm on the official site before you buy.

What are the main types of at-home blood tests?

There are three common models. They differ in how the blood is collected, how much blood the lab gets, and which tests are possible.

Finger-prick kits mailed to a lab

Kit companies send a collection kit, you collect a few drops of blood, and you return it by mail. Everlywell describes its thyroid kit as a finger-prick sample with physician-reviewed results ready "in a few days."⁷ LetsGetChecked says results are available about 2 to 5 days after the sample reaches its lab.² myLAB Box says results usually arrive within 2 to 5 days after the lab receives the sample.⁸

The catch is the test menu. On the catalog pages we checked, none of these three companies listed a folate test.¹²³ LetsGetChecked and the Everlywell 360 panel include vitamin B12; myLAB Box's wellness catalog did not list B12 or folate.²¹³³

Ordering a blood test online and visiting a lab

With this model, you choose a test on a website, an affiliated clinician or physician network authorizes the order, and you visit a patient service center for a standard blood draw. Quest's consumer site and Labcorp OnDemand both state that no doctor's visit is needed.⁵¹⁴ Ulta Lab Tests describes a doctor's order as included and names Quest Diagnostics as its collection partner.⁹

Because the lab gets a full tube of blood, this route offers far more tests, including serum folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine.¹⁵¹² We cover this route in depth, including cost without insurance, on our page about ordering a blood test online.

Membership panels

Membership services bundle dozens of biomarkers into an annual plan. Everlywell 360, for example, lists 83 biomarkers for $399 billed annually, collected at a Quest location.¹³ Its listed biomarkers include vitamin B12 but not folate.¹³ Other membership services are covered in our researched overviews of Function Health, Superpower, and SiphoX Health.

How to judge an at-home blood test service

These are the criteria we used. They are based on what a company can show you before you pay, not on a test run we did not do.

1. Does it name a CLIA-certified lab?

The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) set federal quality standards for U.S. labs that test human specimens such as blood.¹⁶ The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says the goal is test results that are accurate, reliable, and timely, and that requirements get stricter as tests get more complex.¹⁷ Under CLIA, a lab needs the appropriate certificate before it can accept human samples for testing.¹⁸

CAP (College of American Pathologists) accreditation is an additional, voluntary layer some labs hold. Here is what each company states:

2. Is a clinician involved?

Most services have a physician or clinician network that approves the order and, in some cases, reviews results. Everlywell says a clinician reviews the lab requisition and, if eligible, the results.¹⁹ LetsGetChecked says its board-certified physicians review orders and results, and its clinical team may call if results are abnormal.² Quest's consumer site lists a physician service fee and says results get a clinical review before release.⁵²¹ Ulta Lab Tests says it will contact you about critical values, but recommends you review all results with your own clinician.²⁰

3. How fast are results?

Listed turnaround times ranged from about 1 day after the lab receives the sample (Labcorp OnDemand) to 2 to 10 business days (Personalabs) for the B12 and folate tests we checked.⁶¹¹ Kit services add mailing time on top of lab time.

4. What does the privacy policy say?

Everlywell says it never sells customer data and cites HITRUST and SOC 2 certifications.¹⁹ myLAB Box says samples and results are covered under HIPAA and are not shared with insurers.⁸ LetsGetChecked says it shares information only to deliver its services or where it has a legal basis, and disposes of samples after analysis.² Read the full privacy policy before you buy, especially for genetic or sexual health testing.

5. What is the full price?

The test price is not always the total. Quest adds a physician service fee starting at $6.²¹ Ulta Lab Tests lists a standard draw fee of $12.95.²⁰ Everlywell's lab-draw service adds a $15 clinician review fee per request unless you pay for its Lab Pass membership.¹² Most services do not bill insurance; Ulta, Quest, and LetsGetChecked say so directly, and most accept HSA or FSA cards.²⁰⁵²

Which at-home blood tests include folate and vitamin B12?

This is the question our readers ask most, because folate and B12 deficiencies can look alike and are usually checked together.²²²³ Serum folate reflects recent intake and is generally the first-line folate test.²⁴²⁵

If you want a deeper look at folate-specific options, including any kits that do test folate, see our guide to at-home folate and B12 tests. For what your folate number means once you have it, see our folate blood test guide.

A note on folate testing and pregnancy

A normal folate result is not a reason to skip folic acid if you could become pregnant. CDC recommends 400 mcg of folic acid every day for everyone who could become pregnant, and USPSTF recommends a daily supplement of 400 to 800 mcg starting at least one month before conception.²⁸²⁹ Our page on how much folic acid to take for pregnancy covers the details. Note also that LetsGetChecked says its vitamin kits are not suitable during pregnancy.²

At-home blood test comparison table

This table summarizes the verified facts for each service we reviewed. "Not stated" means we did not find it on the pages we checked.

HealthLabs and Personalabs at a glance

These two services do not have separate reviews on our site yet, so here is what their pages said when we checked.

HealthLabs.com lists its Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid Test at $59.00, shown against a crossed-out $118.¹⁰ The page says no doctor's referral is required, results take 1 to 3 business days, and testing is available through over 4,500 CLIA-certified U.S. labs.¹⁰ The page did not say which lab company performs the draw.

Personalabs lists its Vitamin B12 and Folates Blood Test at a regular price of $108, and says the test price determines whether you visit Quest or Labcorp.¹¹ Its physician network approves orders within 2 to 4 hours, and results take 2 to 10 business days.¹¹

At-home vitamin D tests

Vitamin D is one of the most common at-home tests. Most vitamin D blood tests measure 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D, because it is the most accurate way to see if you have enough.³¹ MedlinePlus says routine vitamin D testing is not recommended for everyone, and your clinician can tell you whether a test is right for you.³¹

If you also want folate, Labcorp OnDemand's Vitamin Deficiency Test lists vitamin D, B12, and folate together for $169.²⁶

When an at-home test is not the right tool

At-home and direct-order testing is useful for checking a specific question you already have. It is not a substitute for a clinician when you have symptoms that need a diagnosis.

Genetic tests are a separate category. If you are considering an MTHFR test, read our MTHFR test guide and our explainer on MTHFR and folic acid first. CDC says people with common MTHFR variants can process folic acid and should not avoid it on that basis.³⁴

How to choose, step by step

1. Write down your question. "Is my folate low?" points to a lab-draw test. "What is my vitamin D level?" can work with a kit.
2. Check that the test is actually on the menu. As of October 2026, folate was not on the kit menus we checked.¹²³
3. Confirm the lab and clinician details using the criteria above.¹⁷¹⁹
4. Add up the full price, including draw fees, physician fees, and shipping.²⁰²¹¹²
5. Check your state. Several services list states where they do not operate; see each review for details.²⁰¹²⁵
6. Plan who will read the results. Bring every supplement and dose you take, because recent intake affects serum folate.²⁴²⁵³⁵

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Doses and needs differ from person to person, so talk with your clinician or pharmacist about your situation. Read our editorial policy and medical disclaimer.