At-Home Folate and B12 Tests: Options, Prices, and How to Read Results

You can order a folate and vitamin B12 test online without seeing a doctor first, but for folate, most options still mean a quick blood draw at a lab rather than a finger prick at home.¹²³ Serum folate shows your recent intake, red blood cell (RBC) folate shows longer-term status, and B12 should always be checked alongside folate before anyone treats anemia.⁴⁵⁶ This page compares the options we could verify, lists their prices as of October 2026, and explains how to read the results.

Our folate blood test guide covers normal and high results in more depth. This page focuses on how to get tested and what it costs.

Why test folate and B12 together?

Folate and B12 deficiency can look alike. Both can cause large red blood cells (macrocytosis) and megaloblastic anemia, and both can raise homocysteine.⁴⁵ For that reason, macrocytosis should prompt a check of both folate and B12, not automatic folic acid treatment.⁷

There is a safety reason too. Large amounts of folate can correct the anemia of B12 deficiency without treating the nerve damage underneath.⁶⁵ NIH advises evaluating B12 when megaloblastic anemia or nerve symptoms are possible, rather than treating with folic acid alone.⁵

CDC's narrower point also matters: at the 400 mcg daily dose used for pregnancy prevention, folic acid has not been shown to delay detection of B12 deficiency.⁹ The caution is about high-dose, unsupervised treatment, not routine prenatal folic acid.

Serum folate vs RBC folate: which test do you need?

Because serum folate tracks recent intake, a sample drawn soon after a supplement or fortified meal can look high.¹⁰⁵ Tell the lab or your clinician what you have taken.

At-home vs order-online: what is actually available

"At-home folate test" can mean two different things:

1. A home collection kit, where you prick your finger and mail a sample.
2. An order-online lab test, where you buy the test on a website without a doctor visit, then get blood drawn at a nearby lab.

For B12, both types exist. For folate, the options we could verify in October 2026 were all order-online lab tests. The LetsGetChecked home vitamin kit includes B12 but not folate.¹¹ If you see a home folate kit elsewhere, check that it names an accredited lab and says whether it measures serum or RBC folate.

Our broader guides compare services: order a blood test online and at-home blood tests.

Folate and B12 test options (prices as listed October 2026)

We have not used any of these services. Details come from each company's pages, checked October 2, 2026. Prices change often; confirm before ordering.

Notes on each option

Ulta Lab Tests shows a much higher "regular" price next to its sale price on both pages; the prices above are the ones listed for purchase.¹²¹³ Its B12 and folate panel is a serum test.¹² See our Ulta Lab Tests review for how the service works.

Quest says no doctor visit is needed, but an independent healthcare provider is involved in the process.¹ Quest's standalone folate test page lists a separate $6 physician service fee, so check the checkout total.¹⁵

Labcorp OnDemand says a healthcare provider reviews and approves test requests, and asks you to wait 72 hours after taking biotin-containing supplements before your draw.²

Everlywell Everywhere is a lab-visit ordering service, not a home kit. Everlywell says a licensed clinician in your state reviews and signs the order, refunds you if the order is not approved, and runs tests at CLIA-certified labs.³ It lists the service as unavailable in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Arizona, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.³

LetsGetChecked is the only true home kit in this table. It measures B12 but not folate, asks for a morning, fasting sample collected Monday to Friday, and says it uses a CLIA-approved, CAP-accredited lab with physician review.¹¹ See our LetsGetChecked review.

How to choose a folate or B12 test

1. Pick the right markers. If anemia or tiredness is the question, test B12 and folate together, and ideally a complete blood count.⁷¹⁰
2. Serum first. Serum folate is the usual first-line test; RBC folate is an add-on, not a requirement.⁴
3. Check total cost. Add clinician review or physician service fees to the listed price.¹⁵³
4. Check your state. Some services exclude certain states.³
5. Plan the follow-up. Decide in advance who will interpret an abnormal result.

How to read your results

NIH's population reference discussion considers serum folate above 3 ng/mL and RBC folate above 140 ng/mL adequate, but methods and reference intervals differ between labs.⁵ Always read your number against the range printed on your own report, not a universal internet cutoff.⁵

• Low folate: can support a folate deficiency diagnosis, especially with megaloblastic anemia, but a clinician should look for the cause, such as diet, alcohol use, malabsorption, or medicines.⁵ See folic acid deficiency.
• High folate: often reflects recent fortified food or supplement intake and is not a diagnosis on its own.¹⁰⁵
• Low B12: needs its own evaluation and treatment. Folic acid is not a substitute.⁶⁸
• Normal results while planning pregnancy: a normal folate test is not a reason to skip folic acid. CDC recommends 400 mcg daily for anyone who could become pregnant.¹⁶

Genes can shift folate levels slightly. People with the MTHFR 677TT genotype average about 16% lower blood folate than 677CC at the same intake, but intake matters more.¹⁷ A blood test measures your actual folate, which is usually more useful than an MTHFR test.

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.