Medichecks vs Thriva: Which UK Blood Test Provider Should You Choose?
Medichecks and Thriva are the two names most people come across when they start looking for a private blood test in the UK. Both let you order a finger-prick or venous test from home, both post your sample to an accredited lab, and both send you a clear online report. On the surface they look almost interchangeable, which is why so many people get stuck choosing between them.
They are not the same company under the skin, though. Medichecks has been around since 2004 and runs one of the biggest catalogues in the country, with well over a hundred tests across everything from cholesterol to cancer markers. Thriva is younger (founded in 2016), focuses tightly on home finger-prick kits, and leans hard on its app, subscriptions, and personalised insights to keep people coming back.
Which one is right for you comes down to what you want to test, how often, and what you’d rather pay. This guide lays out the real differences so you can decide without the marketing noise.
The headline difference: breadth vs simplicity
The single biggest practical gap is the size of the catalogue.
Medichecks lists around 75 individual tests covering general health, hormones, vitamins, heart health, fertility, sports performance, and sexual health. It also has clinic appointments in its network if you would rather have a professional draw your blood than do a finger-prick yourself.
Thriva lists around 17 tests, and it deliberately keeps that range tight. Every kit is a home finger-prick, and the model is built around a handful of well-put-together panels rather than an exhaustive list of single markers. If you know exactly which one-off test you want, Medichecks almost always has more options. If you like the idea of a smaller, clearer menu with a recommended plan, Thriva feels simpler to navigate.
Pricing: Medichecks wins on single tests
For a one-off purchase, Medichecks is consistently cheaper. Here are real current prices for the same markers on both sites:
| Test | Medichecks | Thriva |
|---|---|---|
| Thyroid function | £45 | £122.40 |
| PSA (prostate) | £45 | £65 |
| AMH (ovarian reserve) | £79 | £113.40 |
| Menopause check | £69 | £131 |
That is not a small difference. A basic thyroid function test is nearly three times the price at Thriva, and even a PSA test costs roughly £20 more. If you are paying per test, out of pocket, Medichecks is the value pick for most single markers.
The catch is that Thriva prices sit on top of a very different business model. Thriva expects you to join a subscription, where the per-test prices drop and you test on a regular schedule (every 3 or 6 months). Their subscription starts around £25 a month. If you are the sort of person who wants to track the same handful of markers a few times a year and have the results compared over time, the subscription maths can work out in Thriva’s favour, and their app makes that ongoing tracking genuinely slick.
So the honest summary is: for a one-off purchase, Medichecks. For regular, structured tracking, Thriva’s subscription becomes competitive.
Test range and what you can actually order
If you have a specific marker in mind, check the catalogue before you assume both sell it. Here is how the same tests stack up across the two providers:
| Test type | Medichecks | Thriva |
|---|---|---|
| Testosterone (single) | £19 | bundled into Men’s Health £113.40 |
| Vitamin D | £39 | bundled into Vitamins £81.90 |
| Full Blood Count | £59 | bundled into General Health £117 |
| Ferritin / Iron | £39 (ferritin) | £55.80 (Advanced Iron Profile) |
| Cholesterol | £39 | £106.20 (Cardiovascular Health) |
Thriva sells very few single-marker tests. Most of its offering is bundled panels, so you often have to buy a wider profile to get the one number you wanted. Medichecks sells both: cheap single markers and broader profiles. If you only want your cholesterol checked, Medichecks does it for £39 where Thriva charges £106.20 for a cardiovascular panel.
For men testing testosterone specifically, Medichecks charges £19 for a standalone total testosterone test. Thriva does not sell it on its own here, so you end up buying the wider Men’s Health panel.
How the sample and results work
Both providers send a kit to your door and you post it back, but the details differ:
- Blood draw: Medichecks offers both home finger-prick kits and clinic appointments at its nationwide network. Thriva is finger-prick only, with no clinic option. If you hate finger-pricks or have poor circulation, Medichecks’ clinic route is the useful alternative.
- Turnaround: Medichecks quotes 24–48 hours for lab results, the faster of the two. Thriva quotes 48–72 hours.
- Reporting: Both give you an online report with colour-coded results and plain-English explanations. Thriva is widely praised for the presentation of its reports and the personalised recommendations it attaches to each result.
Neither reports should be treated as a diagnosis. Both flag that out-of-range results are a prompt to speak to a GP, and both labs carry UKAS accreditation.
Which provider should you pick?
There is no single winner, because the two are aimed at different habits:
- Choose Medichecks if you want a cheap one-off test, need a specific single marker, want the widest possible catalogue, or prefer the option of a clinic appointment over a finger-prick. It is the stronger value pick for almost every single-marker purchase.
- Choose Thriva if you like the idea of regular tracking, want a cleaner, smaller menu with excellent reporting, and are happy to join a subscription to make the per-test price competitive. The app-based experience is the best in the category for ongoing health tracking.
If I were ordering a single testosterone or thyroid test today, I would buy Medichecks and save the difference. If I wanted to check the same five markers every six months and watch the trends, I would probably put that on a Thriva subscription.
Compare across all providers
To see how these two sit against every other UK provider on the same test, visit our compare page and search for the marker you care about, for example testosterone or thyroid blood tests, sorted by price to find the cheapest option.
| Provider | Cheapest typical single test | Results time | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medichecks | from £19 (testosterone) | 24–48 hours | Home kit or clinic |
| Thriva | from £55.80 (iron) | 48–72 hours | Home kit only |
Header image: two test tubes in a lab setting, by RDNE Stock Project / Pexels
Prices checked 27 August 2026. They change often, so always confirm the current price on the provider’s site before you buy.