Epigenetic Age Tests Compared: TruMe, Elysium Index, Tally Health, and What They Actually Measure (2026)
You probably know your chronological age—the number of years you’ve existed. But what you really care about is your biological age: how fast your body is aging at a cellular level. Epigenetic clock tests promise to measure exactly that.
It sounds perfect. It’s not. I’ve spent two years evaluating epigenetic clock tests, and the picture is far more nuanced than marketing materials suggest. Some of these tests measure real biology. Others measure correlation at best. And even the best tests come with significant limitations that most people don’t understand.
How Epigenetic Clocks Actually Work
DNA methylation is a chemical modification that changes how accessible your DNA is to transcription machinery. As you age, your methylation patterns change in predictable ways. These changes correlate strongly with chronological age.
But—and this is crucial—correlation is not causation. A clock tells time accurately without causing the passage of time. Just because methylation changes correlate with age doesn’t mean methylation changes drive aging.
The Different Epigenetic Clock Algorithms
Horvath’s “Biological Age” Clock: The original epigenetic clock uses 353 methylation sites to predict chronological age with ±3 years accuracy. But Horvath age correlates only modestly with mortality risk.
GrimAge: An improved clock optimized for predicting mortality risk. It has better predictive power than Horvath’s clock.
DunedinPACE: Optimized to predict aging rate—how fast someone is aging biologically. It has stronger predictive power for health outcomes than other clocks.
The Commercial Tests
Elysium Index: ~$350 upfront, $200–300/year. Uses PhenoAge algorithm. Provides context and comparison data.
TruMe: ~$200–300 per test. Offers Horvath, GrimAge, and DunedinPACE. Best value.
Tally Health: ~$130–150. Proprietary algorithm not as validated.
My Honest Assessment
Best overall value: DunedinPACE via TruMe. Test annually and track whether your aging rate is slowing.
Best for long-term tracking: Horvath via TruMe. Excellent for tracking changes over years.
Skip: Tally Health unless budget is critical. Skip: Biological Insights unless doing comprehensive biomarker testing.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.