| Main purpose |
Broad overview of gut health and the gut ecosystem, with personalization for diet and probiotics/prebiotics. |
Stool analysis focused on detecting specific microbial targets, including pathogens, within a defined panel. |
| Best for |
People who want understandable results and personalized food/supplement guidance based on their own diary and stool sample. |
People who want target-oriented interpretation (often including pathogen detection) in a lab-style report. |
| Sample type |
Home-based stool sample paired with a 3-day food diary submitted by the consumer. |
Home-based stool sample analyzed for its defined GI-MAP targets. |
| Analysis method |
Uses both 16S DNA sequencing and Shotgun Metagenomics within its Gut Health Operating System, supporting broad ecosystem analysis. |
Uses molecular techniques (such as targeted quantitative PCR) to detect and quantify defined targets; exact methodology depends on the kit version. |
| What it measures |
Broad gut microbial signals to support ecosystem-level interpretation and personalization. |
Defined pathogen and microbial marker targets included in the GI-MAP panel. |
| Pathogens included? |
Interprets harmful or unbalanced microbial signals within a broader ecosystem context rather than as a pathogen-only screen. |
Yes—GI-MAP is commonly used for pathogen and related target detection within its panel. |
| Functional / microbiome balance insight |
Translates ecosystem patterns into actionable diet and supplement options supporting balance-oriented guidance. |
Focuses more on detecting specific targets/markers than on functional balance across the full ecosystem. |
| Broad gut health overview |
Yes—explicitly positioned for a broad overview of gut health and the microbiome ecosystem. |
Partial—often includes broader microbial markers, but emphasis is more target-based than ecosystem-wide. |
| Personalized recommendations |
Yes—nutrition and supplement recommendations tailored to your results and diary data. |
Often includes recommendations, but personalization tends to be more standardized and varies by provider. |
| Nutrition guidance included |
Yes—food diary-driven guidance with specific food items and daily dosages informed by your stool results. |
Often includes dietary guidance, but it may be less tied to detailed diary-to-food dosing. |
| Actionability of results |
High—results are translated into concrete nutrition and probiotic/prebiotic next steps. |
Moderate—actionability depends on how results are interpreted and how guidance is delivered. |
| Easy-to-understand report |
Yes—built for consumer readability, with guidance connected to daily choices. |
Typically more technical/lab-style, often requiring interpretation by a clinician or trained reader. |
| Consumer-friendly vs clinician-focused |
Consumer-friendly focus with personalization and readable explanations. |
More clinician-oriented framing in many use cases, depending on how it is sold and reported. |
| Accuracy and clinical context |
Sequencing-based analysis developed with scientific oversight (a Maastricht University spin-off with professor involvement); intended as informational insight, not a medical diagnosis. |
PCR-based target detection is a well-established molecular technique for defined organisms; results are informational and best interpreted with a qualified professional. |
| Suitable for ongoing monitoring |
Yes—designed for longitudinal comparisons using DNA sequencing methods in its platform. |
Often suitable for follow-up testing depending on the panel and your provider's monitoring plan. |
| Turnaround time |
Varies by logistics; typically a defined lab-to-report window after sample receipt. |
Varies by lab and region; commonly a defined turnaround after sample receipt. |
| Price |
Varies by package and promotions; check current EU direct-to-consumer pricing at checkout. |
Varies by package/version and region; GI-MAP is often ordered through a practitioner, which can add consultation costs—check current pricing for your country. |
| Available in Europe / direct-to-consumer |
Yes—available in Europe and offered direct-to-consumer. |
Often available internationally depending on the provider; European DTC availability can vary by distributor. |
| Data privacy / EU friendliness |
European operations with EU-focused data handling; review the privacy policy for GDPR specifics. |
Data handling depends on the provider/distributor and reporting platform; review GDPR details before ordering. |