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InsideTracker vs Function Health: Blood Testing Compared

If you are comparing InsideTracker vs Function Health, you are already asking the right question. Both platforms go far beyond what a standard annual physical covers, and both use Quest Diagnostics for blood draws. But the differences in biomarker depth, pricing structure, biological age methodology, and overall approach are significant enough to affect which one is right for you.

I have completed four rounds of Function Health testing since August 2024 (you can read my full review of Function at that link), covering 130 biomarkers across metabolic, cardiovascular, liver, kidney, hormone, nutrient, and inflammatory panels. I have not used InsideTracker personally (yet), so for now this comparison is based on deep first-person Function Health experience combined with thorough research into InsideTracker's platform, pricing, and features.

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InsideTracker vs Function Health: Quick Comparison

Here is how the two platforms compare on the features that matter most.

Function Health: $365/year for two comprehensive draws covering over 100 biomarkers. Clinician-reviewed notes are included for each draw and biological age is calculated from blood biomarkers at no extra cost byt here is no DNA testing. Access to Functions's new AI health coach is included. Function offers wearable integration with several platforms. Add-ons available include Galleri cancer screening, ApoE, Omega panel, and others.

InsideTracker: $149/year membership for platform access, then blood tests are purchased separately ($589 for Ultimate with up to 54 biomarkers). DNA testing is available at $249 for one-time dra. The InnerAge biological age is a $99 add-on per calculation. Inside has wearable integration with Oura, Apple Health, Fitbit, and Garmin. There are also category-specific tests available ranging from $99 to $149 each.

Both are HSA/FSA eligible and can accept uploads of existing bloodwork from other providers.

Biomarker Depth and Panel Comparison

This is the single biggest difference between the two platforms, and it is not close.

inside tracker vs function

Function Health tests over 100 biomarkers in its base panel, and my most recent dashboard showed 130 total including add-ons. That panel spans metabolic health (glucose, HbA1c, insulin), cardiovascular (lipid panel, Lp(a), ApoB), liver and kidney function, thyroid, hormones, nutrients, heavy metals (lead and mercury), inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, homocysteine), and autoimmune markers. You get all of this twice per year for one flat price.

InsideTracker's most comprehensive test, the Ultimate, covers up to 54 biomarkers across 10 healthspan categories. That is roughly half the biomarker coverage of a single Function Health draw. InsideTracker does not include heavy metals, does not include Lp(a) in the standard panel, and does not offer cancer screening add-ons like the Galleri test.

Where InsideTracker adds depth that Function Health does not is through its category-specific testing. You can order focused panels for inflammation, heart health, endurance, cognition, and other areas for $99 to $149 each. This modular approach lets you retest specific areas of concern more frequently without paying for a full panel, which is genuinely useful for people who want to check whether a specific intervention is working.

From my own experience with Function Health, the breadth of the panel has been one of the most valuable aspects. My four rounds of testing caught a hemoglobin drop to 8.6 g/dL after competition prep, a neutrophil count of 760 (below range), and an ALT spike that turned out to be exercise-induced. None of these would have shown up on a 54-biomarker panel unless those specific markers happened to be included. I discuss these findings in more detail in my Function Health cost and value analysis.

Pricing Breakdown: What You Actually Pay Per Year

The pricing structures are different enough that a direct price comparison requires looking at what you actually get for the money.

Function Health total annual cost: $365. That includes two comprehensive draws (over 100 biomarkers each), clinician-reviewed notes for both rounds, biological age calculation, AI health coach, and dashboard access. There are no additional per-test fees. The cost per biomarker works out to roughly $2.81 based on my 130-biomarker panel.

InsideTracker total annual cost (comparable coverage): $149 membership plus $589 per Ultimate test. One test per year comes to $738. Two tests per year (to match Function Health's twice-yearly cadence) comes to $1,327. Adding InnerAge biological age ($99 per calculation) and DNA ($249 one-time) pushes first-year costs above $1,500. The cost per biomarker on a single Ultimate test is roughly $10.89 based on 54 biomarkers.

InsideTracker does offer a significant cost advantage if you already get bloodwork through your doctor or another service. The $149 membership lets you upload existing results for analysis, which means you can access InsideTracker's algorithms and recommendations without paying for a new blood draw, which is actually pretty cool. Function Health does not offer anything like this as of now.

Both platforms are HSA and FSA eligible, which can reduce the effective cost by 25 to 35% depending on your tax bracket.

Biological Age Testing

Both platforms calculate biological age, but they approach it differently and the results can vary significantly.

Function Health includes biological age in the base membership at no extra cost. My most recent result showed a biological age of 37.3 at a calendar age of 52, which was 15.5 years younger at the time of testing. I have also tested on Hundred Health (38.0, or 14 years younger) and Superpower (45.2, or 6.8 years younger). The spread between platforms illustrates that biological age calculations depend heavily on the algorithm being used.

InsideTracker's InnerAge is a $99 add-on per calculation. It uses a machine learning model trained on longitudinal health data to estimate biological age from blood biomarkers. InsideTracker reports that 60 percent of their customers reduce their InnerAge on follow-up analysis. The InnerAge calculation is based on the biomarkers in your Ultimate test, so it reflects metabolic and cardiovascular health rather than epigenetic aging.

If biological age tracking is important to you, Function Health includes it automatically. With InsideTracker, you are paying $99 each time you want it recalculated.

Clinician Support and AI Coaching

Function Health provides clinician-reviewed notes after every testing round. A licensed clinician reads your results and writes a detailed summary covering strengths, areas to watch, and specific recommendations. In my experience, these notes have been genuinely useful. My clinician called out my metabolic markers as showing “outstanding blood sugar balance” and flagged that my red blood cell counts had fully rebounded from prior lows. I also received a proactive phone call from a Function Health physician when a couple of values looked unusual, which was not something I expected.

Function Health also includes an AI health coach that can build personalized protocols, answer questions about your specific results, and provide dietary and supplement recommendations. When I asked it about my ApoE 3/4 genotype, it gave a detailed, personalized breakdown of what that means for Alzheimer's risk and which markers to monitor.

InsideTracker takes a different approach. Rather than clinician notes, InsideTracker uses a proprietary AI engine to generate personalized recommendations across nutrition, supplements, exercise, and lifestyle. The platform is designed around Action Plans, where you set health goals and receive targeted recommendations based on your biomarker data. InsideTracker also offers daily reminders through their app and ProTips that connect your blood results to your wearable data for real-time guidance.

Neither approach is objectively better. If you value having a human clinician review your results, Function Health is the clear choice. If you prefer an AI-driven, goal-oriented system with daily nudges and action tracking, InsideTracker's platform is more developed in that direction.

Wearable Integration

Both platforms offer wearable integration, but Function Health actually has the broader device list here. Function connects with Oura, Garmin, Fitbit, Peloton, Polar, Coros, Suunto, Zepp, Withings, and Ultrahuman. If you use any of those devices, your activity, sleep, and recovery data can be pulled into the platform alongside your lab results.

InsideTracker syncs with Oura Ring, Apple Health, Fitbit, and Garmin. That covers the most popular devices for this audience, but the list is narrower than Function's.

As someone who rotates between an Oura Ring 4, a Whoop, and a Hume Band, I appreciate that Function has expanded its integrations. The ability to contextualize your blood biomarkers alongside sleep, HRV, and activity data is genuinely useful. It moves the analysis from a static snapshot toward something that reflects how your body is actually performing day to day. Whoop is notably absent from both platforms.

DNA and Genetic Testing

InsideTracker offers an optional DNA kit ($249, one-time) that analyzes up to 261 health-related genetic variants. This covers nutrient metabolism, exercise response, sleep patterns, aging markers, and inflammation tendencies. You can also upload existing 23andMe or Ancestry.com results for free as part of your membership. The genetic data layers into your blood biomarker analysis to provide more personalized recommendations.

Function Health does not offer DNA testing as part of its standard platform. However, it does offer ApoE genotyping as an add-on, which is the genetic marker most relevant to Alzheimer's risk and cardiovascular health. I added this to my panel and learning my ApoE 3/4 status directly influenced my sleep optimization strategy, which I wrote about in my deep sleep guide.

If comprehensive genetic testing is a priority for you, InsideTracker is the only one of these two platforms that offers it. If you specifically want ApoE status, Function Health covers that as an add-on.

Who Should Choose Which

Choose Function Health if: You want the deepest biomarker panel available (100+ markers vs 54), you prefer clinician-reviewed results, biological age included at no extra cost matters to you, you want access to add-ons like the Galleri multi-cancer screening, or you simply want the most comprehensive testing at the lowest per-biomarker cost. Skip the waitlist for Function Health here.

Choose InsideTracker if: You already get bloodwork elsewhere and want to upload results for analysis ($149/year), DNA testing is important to you, you want wearable integration with Oura or Garmin, you prefer a goal-oriented action plan system with daily nudges, or you want the ability to retest specific health categories without paying for a full panel.

Consider using both if: You want Function Health's comprehensive panel as your foundation and InsideTracker's platform for wearable integration and goal tracking. You can upload your Function Health results to InsideTracker's platform for $149/year and get the benefits of both ecosystems.

For a broader look at how all the major blood testing platforms compare, including Superpower and Hundred Health, see my Function Health vs Superpower comparison, biological age test guide, and Function Health cost breakdown.

Get the Free Blood Test Biomarker Cheat Sheet

I created a downloadable cheat sheet covering the most important biomarkers for longevity, what optimal ranges look like, and which markers most doctors skip. Just click the button at the bottom of the email to download your copy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is InsideTracker or Function Health better?

It depends on your priorities. Function Health offers deeper biomarker coverage (100+ vs 54 markers), clinician-reviewed notes, and included biological age at a lower total annual cost ($365 vs $738+ for comparable testing). InsideTracker offers DNA testing, wearable integration, goal-oriented action plans, and the ability to upload existing bloodwork for analysis at $149 per year.

How much does InsideTracker cost compared to Function Health?

Function Health costs $365 per year for two comprehensive draws. InsideTracker costs $149 per year for platform access plus $589 per Ultimate blood test. Two tests per year with InsideTracker totals $1,327, roughly 3.6 times more than Function Health for fewer biomarkers per test. InsideTracker is cheaper if you only use the upload feature ($149/year) with bloodwork from another provider.

Can I use InsideTracker and Function Health together?

Yes. You can get comprehensive testing through Function Health and upload those results to InsideTracker's platform for $149 per year to access their analysis algorithms, wearable integration, and action plan features. This gives you the best of both: Function Health's deep panel and clinician notes plus InsideTracker's goal tracking and daily recommendations.

Does InsideTracker include biological age testing?

InsideTracker offers InnerAge as a $99 add-on per calculation. Function Health includes biological age in the base membership at no additional cost. Both use blood biomarker algorithms rather than epigenetic (DNA methylation) testing to estimate biological age.

Author

  • Cheryl McColgan

    Cheryl McColgan is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, a published author, wellness coach, and speaker with a Psychology degree, minor in Addictions Studies, and graduate training in Clinical Psychology. An E-RYT certified yoga instructor with over 25 years of experience in fitness, nutrition, and healthy living, Cheryl brings both academic grounding and deep personal experience to everything she writes. After surviving surgery for suspected cancer at the Mayo Clinic, where 16 tumors were removed from her abdomen, she transformed her own health through evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle change. She now helps others develop the confidence and sustainable habits to create lasting health, sharing practical, science-backed guidance through articles, coaching, and the Heal Nourish Grow podcast.

    Read more about the journey that created Heal Nourish Grow on the "about" page.