Head to head · Medichecks vs Randox Health
They are the two names most people in the UK compare, and they are almost opposites. Medichecks is the biggest direct-to-consumer testing brand in the country: a finger-prick kit through your letterbox, a menu of hundreds of tests, a venous draw at a partner clinic if you pay extra, and results with a doctor's comment. Randox Health is a laboratory company that runs its own clinics: a nurse takes a venous sample, the panels are large, and the results come with a consultation. Which is better depends on what you want measured and how. Below is the honest comparison, where each wins, and where TrueVitals sits, which is roughly Randox's method with Medichecks' reach and a better report than either.
TrueVitals: venous draw at 103 UK clinics or at home, written report within 48 hours of the lab receiving your sample.
Last reviewed 16 September 2026
The short answer
Choose Medichecks if you want one specific test or a mid-size profile, do not mind pricking your own finger, and value choice and price. Choose Randox if you want a large venous panel and can get to one of its clinics. Choose TrueVitals if you want the venous draw and the large panel without the clinic constraint, the predictive markers (ApoB, Lp(a), fasting insulin, cystatin C) built in rather than bolted on, and a written report that explains the results together. Its Signature panel is processed by Randox's laboratory, so the top tier is literally Randox's science with TrueVitals' report.
Side by side
| Medichecks | Randox Health | TrueVitals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sample | Finger-prick kit by post; venous at a partner clinic or by a nurse visit for an extra fee | Venous draw by a nurse at a Randox clinic | Venous draw by a registered phlebotomist at a clinic (£19) or at home (£39) |
| What you buy | Hundreds of single tests and profiles; largest profiles around 50 to 60 markers | Packages: Everyman and Everywoman (around 150 data points), larger tiers above | Three panels: Advanced (74), Ultimate (114), Signature (230, processed by Randox) |
| ApoB | Add-on or in selected profiles | In higher tiers | Every panel |
| Lp(a) | Add-on | In higher tiers | Ultimate and Signature |
| Fasting insulin, HOMA-IR | Add-on | Varies by package | Ultimate and Signature |
| Cystatin C | Not standard | Not standard | Ultimate and Signature |
| Full thyroid with antibodies, full iron studies, complete hormones | Across separate profiles; hormones limited on finger-prick | Included in larger packages | In one panel |
| Results | Online results with reference ranges and a doctor's written comment | Results with a consultation (in person or phone) and a summary | Written report explaining every marker in context, patterns connected across systems, reviewed by a medical professional; dashboard tracks change between tests |
| Turnaround | 2 to 5 working days after the lab receives the kit | Typically a week or two, depending on package | Advanced and Ultimate within 48 hours of the lab receiving the sample; Signature around 12 working days |
| Locations | Anywhere by post; partner clinics for venous | Around 30 Randox clinics and Holland & Barrett partner sites, concentrated in London, Northern Ireland and larger cities | 103 clinics across the UK, or at home anywhere; Signature at Randox sites |
| Laboratory | UKAS-accredited partner labs | Own UKAS-accredited laboratory | UKAS-accredited partner labs; Randox for Signature |
| Retesting | Buy again; results history in your account | Some packages include a repeat visit | Health plans of 2 to 4 tests at a lower price per test; every report compared against the last |
| Price | Single tests from around £30; large profiles roughly £150 to £300 plus venous fee | £416 for Everyman or Everywoman; more for higher tiers | £269, £349 or £799 (Signature includes the draw) |
Medichecks and Randox menus, package contents and prices change; figures are approximate from public listings in 2026 and you should check their sites. The TrueVitals column is from the published panel contents.
Where each one wins
Medichecks wins on
If there is a single obscure marker you want, Medichecks almost certainly sells it. For one or two tests it is the cheapest credible option in the UK. The kit arrives anywhere, and the doctor comments on results are clear. If you are comfortable with a finger-prick and you know exactly what you want, it is hard to beat.
Randox wins on
A nurse takes a venous sample, the packages are large, the laboratory is Randox's own, and you get a person to talk to. For someone who wants to sit in a clinic and be looked after, and lives near one, it is a genuinely good product. Its top-tier panels are among the deepest available in the UK, which is why TrueVitals uses Randox to process Signature.
Medichecks falls short on
Finger-prick samples are more likely to haemolyse or come back insufficient, and several hormones are less reliable on them. The venous option fixes that but adds cost and a trip. And the menu is a menu: you assemble your own panel, which means most people miss ApoB, Lp(a) and insulin because they did not know to add them.
Randox falls short on
About 30 sites, so most of the country is a long drive away and there is no at-home venous option. Turnaround is slower. And the results, while accompanied by a consultation, are not a document you can sit with, re-read and take to your GP marker by marker.
The third option
TrueVitals is built around the things each of the two gets right. Every sample is venous, taken by a registered phlebotomist, like Randox. It is available at 103 clinics or at your home anywhere in the UK, which is closer to Medichecks' reach than to Randox's. The panels are designed rather than assembled, so ApoB is in every one and Lp(a), fasting insulin and cystatin C are in Ultimate without anyone needing to know to add them. Advanced and Ultimate reports arrive within 48 hours of the lab receiving the sample. And the report is a written document that explains every marker in context, connects the patterns, says what to fix first and which results to take to your GP. For the deepest tier, Signature is processed by Randox's own laboratory and collected at Randox clinics, with TrueVitals' report on top.
Advanced
74 biomarkers · £269
Full thyroid with antibodies, ApoB and full lipids, hs-CRP, HbA1c, full iron studies, vitamin D, B12, folate, core hormones, liver, kidney, electrolytes. Broader than Medichecks' largest profile, venous, with a real report.
View AdvancedThe comparison winner
Ultimate
114 biomarkers · £349
Adds fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, Lp(a), cystatin C, complete hormones, tumour markers and urinalysis. The predictive set built in, 48-hour report, clinic or at home.
View UltimateSignature
230 biomarkers · £799
Randox's laboratory and clinics, with physical measurements on the day and TrueVitals' written report. Extended cardiovascular, autoimmune, digestive and neurological screening. Draw included.
View SignatureFast from 10pm the night before. Pay monthly available. No GP referral.
Decision guide
| If you want | Go with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One named test, cheaply | Medichecks | Biggest menu, lowest price for a single marker |
| A nurse and a clinic, and you live near a Randox | Randox | Venous, large packages, own lab, consultation |
| A venous panel but no Randox nearby | TrueVitals | 103 clinics or at home for £39, same venous draw |
| Cardiovascular and metabolic risk measured properly | TrueVitals Ultimate | ApoB, Lp(a), fasting insulin and cystatin C included, not add-ons |
| A report you can read, re-read and take to your GP | TrueVitals | Written, marker by marker, patterns connected, reviewed by a medical professional |
| Results this week | TrueVitals Advanced or Ultimate | Within 48 hours of the lab receiving the sample |
| The deepest panel in the UK | Randox top tier, or TrueVitals Signature | Same laboratory; Signature adds the TrueVitals report |
| To retest every 3 to 6 months | TrueVitals health plan | Lower price per test, every report compared with the last |
Individual comparisons: Medichecks vs TrueVitals and Randox vs TrueVitals.
FAQs
Both use UKAS-accredited laboratories, so the analysis is reliable at either. The difference is the sample. Randox takes venous blood; Medichecks' default is finger-prick, which is more prone to insufficient or haemolysed samples and is less reliable for some hormones. Choose Medichecks' venous option, or a venous provider, if repeatability matters to you. Blood test accuracy explained.
For a single test, Medichecks by a distance. For a large panel, Randox's Everyman and Everywoman at £416 cost more than Medichecks' biggest profiles even after the venous fee. TrueVitals Ultimate at £349 plus the draw is cheaper than Randox's entry package, with more predictive markers than either.
Randox's model is clinic-based venous testing; it does not offer an at-home venous draw across the UK. Medichecks posts finger-prick kits and can arrange a nurse visit in some areas for a fee. TrueVitals sends a phlebotomist for a venous draw anywhere in the UK for £39.
The sample is collected at a Randox clinic and analysed in Randox's laboratory, so the science is Randox's. The panel composition and the written report are TrueVitals'. If you like Randox's lab but want a report that explains everything together, that is what Signature is.
Medichecks sells both as add-ons or within selected profiles. Randox includes them in its higher tiers. TrueVitals includes ApoB in every panel and Lp(a) in Ultimate and Signature.
Medichecks typically two to five working days after the lab receives the kit. Randox typically a week or more depending on package. TrueVitals Advanced and Ultimate within 48 hours of the lab receiving the sample; Signature around 12 working days.
114 biomarkers with ApoB, Lp(a), fasting insulin and cystatin C built in, drawn at 103 clinics or at home, with a written report within 48 hours of the lab.
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