Both Lola Health and Thriva are reputable, UKAS-accredited blood testing services, but they take fundamentally different approaches. Thriva prioritises convenience with its pain-free Tasso+ autodraw device and lower entry price (~£21), while Lola Health prioritises depth with professional phlebotomist home visits and 45–70 biomarker panels as standard. The right choice depends on whether you value ease of collection or comprehensive diagnostic insight.

This comparison draws on publicly available data, clinical literature on the Tasso+ device, published pricing from both services, and verified user reviews. We give Thriva full credit where it is earned — their 4.5-star Trustpilot rating from roughly 2,850 reviews is genuinely strong — and we are transparent about the trade-offs on both sides.

Quick Comparison: Lola Health vs Thriva at a Glance

The table below summarises the 10 most important differences between the two services. For most buyers, the decision comes down to collection method, biomarker count, and total cost for a comparable panel. We expand on each row in the sections that follow.

The Collection Method Question: Tasso+ Autodraw vs Professional Venous Draw

The single biggest difference between Lola Health and Thriva is how your blood is collected, and this choice cascades into almost every other factor — from which biomarkers you can test to how reliable your results are. Thriva uses the Tasso+ autodraw device, a small adhesive unit placed on the upper arm that draws capillary blood using a gentle vacuum. Lola Health sends a qualified phlebotomist to your home to perform a standard venous blood draw from the arm.

How the Tasso+ Device Works

The Tasso+ is not a finger prick. It is a self-collection device that adheres to the skin of the upper arm and uses a micro-channelling mechanism combined with vacuum pressure to draw capillary blood into a collection tube. Clinical data shows the device collects between 200 and 600 microlitres of blood, with an average yield of approximately 339 µL. In user satisfaction studies, 91% of participants reported the device as pain-free, and over 95% said they preferred it to legacy finger prick lancet methods.

Those numbers are genuinely impressive, and Thriva deserves credit for adopting a device that makes blood collection more accessible. For people who are needle-phobic or simply want a low-friction experience they can complete at their kitchen table, the Tasso+ is a meaningful innovation.

The Limitations of Autodraw Collection

However, the convenience of the Tasso+ comes with trade-offs that are important to understand.

• Device failure rate: Clinical data reports a failure rate of 3–20%, depending on the study and conditions. Some users report the device collecting zero blood, requiring a replacement kit to be posted — adding days to the process. Hydration levels, skin temperature, and preparation steps all influence success.
• Limited blood volume: At 200–600 µL (roughly 0.3–0.6 ml), the Tasso+ collects a fraction of what a venous draw provides. A standard venous sample yields 5–10+ ml — between 10 and 50 times more blood. This volume constraint directly limits which assays the lab can run.
• Capillary vs venous blood: Capillary blood from the skin’s surface has slightly different composition from venous blood drawn directly from a vein. For most standard analytes, the difference is clinically insignificant, but some tests — particularly full blood count (FBC) panels — require venous samples for accurate results.

How the Lola Health Venous Draw Works

Lola Health includes a professional phlebotomist home visit in the price of every blood test panel. A qualified practitioner visits your home at a scheduled time and performs a standard venous blood draw — the same technique used in NHS hospitals, GP surgeries, and private clinics. The phlebotomist typically collects 5–10+ ml of blood, which is immediately handled and dispatched to UKAS-accredited laboratories.

The venous draw method effectively removes sample quality as a variable. There is no device failure scenario, no risk of insufficient volume, and no biomarker limitations driven by the collection method itself. The trade-off is that you need to be at home for the appointment, and you do need to be comfortable with a needle — though professional phlebotomists are trained to make the experience as quick and painless as possible.

Biomarker Depth: Where the Gap Matters

On a standard autodraw test, Thriva covers approximately 10–20 biomarkers. Lola Health’s entry-level panel covers 45. That is not a marginal difference — it is the difference between screening a handful of functions and building a holistic view of your health across hormones, thyroid, liver, kidney, cardiovascular, inflammatory, metabolic, and nutritional markers in a single test.

Thriva’s Biomarker Range

Thriva structures its testing around a base package with optional add-on modules (priced at £6–£25 each). Using the Tasso+ autodraw, a typical package covers core areas like cholesterol, thyroid function, vitamin D, liver markers, and HbA1c. This gives you a solid basic wellness overview, and for many people tracking a few specific numbers over time, it is entirely sufficient.

For deeper testing, Thriva offers a Full Works panel covering 50+ biomarkers, but this requires upgrading to a venous blood draw at an additional cost of £38–£60 on top of the test price. The Full Works panel also has a longer turnaround — results can take up to 15 working days compared to the standard 2-day window. This is an important detail that is not always prominent in Thriva’s marketing.

Lola Health’s Biomarker Range

Lola Health offers three tiered panels, all using venous blood collection:

• Core Health: 45 biomarkers — £130
• Vital Check: 56 biomarkers — £170
• Peak Insights: 70 biomarkers — £220

Because the venous draw provides ample blood volume, there is no biomarker limitation imposed by the collection method. Full blood count, comprehensive hormone panels, inflammatory markers, and advanced lipid profiles are all available as standard. You do not need to select add-ons or upgrade your collection method to access them.

Why Biomarker Depth Matters

Health conditions rarely announce themselves through a single marker. Thyroid dysfunction, for instance, is best assessed not just with TSH but alongside Free T3, Free T4, and thyroid antibodies. Iron status is most informative when you can see ferritin, serum iron, TIBC, and transferrin saturation together. A broader panel does not just give you “more numbers” — it gives the reviewing doctor context to spot patterns, interactions, and early warning signs that isolated markers cannot reveal.

The True Cost Comparison

At first glance, Thriva appears significantly cheaper — but when you compare like-for-like comprehensive panels, the price gap narrows substantially. Thriva’s lower entry point is real and meaningful for budget-conscious buyers who want basic screening. But the cost calculation shifts when you need deeper testing.

Where Thriva Wins on Price

If you want to track a small number of specific biomarkers — say, cholesterol, vitamin D, and thyroid function — on a quarterly basis, Thriva’s autodraw model offers genuine value. At roughly £55–£80 per test with the convenience of home collection and no appointment needed, it is a cost-effective way to monitor known health metrics over time. Their quarterly subscription model encourages regular testing, which is a strong health habit regardless of which service you use.

Where Lola Health Wins on Value

The moment you need a comprehensive panel — 45 or more biomarkers with a venous draw — the price comparison changes. Thriva’s Full Works venous option, once you add the £38–£60 upgrade for the venous draw, brings the total cost into the same territory as Lola Health’s £130 Core Health panel, which includes the phlebotomist visit in the price. At the comprehensive tier, Lola Health’s all-inclusive pricing is arguably simpler and often more competitive.

Lola Health’s Lola One 6-month memberships (Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers) also provide ongoing testing at structured intervals, similar to Thriva’s subscription but with venous draw comprehensiveness built in from the start.

App and Results Experience

Both Thriva and Lola Health deliver results through dedicated mobile apps with doctor or GP-reviewed reports, though they differ in presentation and depth of insight. The quality of the post-test experience matters because raw biomarker numbers are meaningless without clear context, interpretation, and actionable guidance.

The Thriva App

Thriva’s app is available on both iOS and Android and has a well-regarded user interface. Results are presented with a traffic-light colour system — green for normal, amber for borderline, red for out of range — which makes it immediately intuitive to spot areas of concern. Each result includes a GP-reviewed interpretation with general guidance.

Thriva has been operating since 2016 and has had time to refine its digital experience. User reviews frequently praise the app’s ease of use and clean design. The quarterly tracking feature, which shows how your biomarkers trend over time, is particularly well-executed and encourages consistent monitoring.

One common criticism, however, is that the GP-reviewed advice can feel somewhat generic. Several user reviews note that the guidance does not always account for individual context — offering the same dietary or lifestyle suggestions regardless of the user’s broader health picture. This is an inherent challenge for any service processing thousands of results at scale, but it is worth noting if you expect personalised clinical guidance.

The Lola Health App

Lola Health delivers doctor-reviewed results through its dedicated app. As a longevity-focused service, the reporting emphasises not just whether a biomarker is within range, but where it sits within the optimal zone and what trajectory it suggests for long-term health. Results are reviewed by a doctor (rather than a general practice reviewer) and contextualised against your health goals.

Because Lola Health panels include 45–70 biomarkers, the results dashboard has more ground to cover per test. The app groups related biomarkers into functional categories — cardiovascular health, metabolic function, hormonal balance, nutritional status — giving you a structured view of how different systems are performing together, rather than an isolated list of numbers.

Beyond Blood Testing: Epigenetics, Gut Health, and Supplements

Lola Health positions itself as a longevity platform, not just a blood testing service, offering epigenetic age testing, gut microbiome analysis, and targeted supplements that Thriva does not provide. This distinction matters if your goal extends beyond monitoring basic blood markers toward understanding and actively influencing your rate of biological ageing.

TruAge Epigenetic Testing

Lola Health offers TruAge epigenetic testing, which analyses DNA methylation patterns to calculate a biological age score alongside your chronological age. Epigenetic clocks are one of the most promising areas of longevity science, providing a measurable signal for how lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, and stress are affecting your ageing trajectory at a molecular level.

This is not a test that Thriva offers, nor is it available from most mainstream at-home blood testing services in the UK. For anyone interested in the science of longevity or who wants to measure the impact of health interventions over time, epigenetic testing adds a dimension that blood biomarkers alone cannot capture.

GutID Microbiome Testing

Lola Health’s GutID microbiome test analyses the composition of your gut bacteria, providing insights into digestive health, immune function, and metabolic balance. The gut microbiome is increasingly recognised as a central factor in overall health, influencing everything from inflammation to mood to nutrient absorption. Again, this is a category that Thriva does not currently serve.

NMN Supplements

Lola Health also sells NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) supplements, a precursor to NAD+ that has attracted significant interest in longevity research. Whether or not you choose to take supplements, the option to purchase them from the same platform that is monitoring your blood biomarkers creates a more integrated health management experience.

Thriva is focused exclusively on blood testing and does not offer supplements, microbiome analysis, or epigenetic assessments. This is not necessarily a weakness — it reflects a different business model. Thriva does one thing (at-home blood testing) and does it accessibly. Lola Health aims to be a broader health and longevity ecosystem.

When to Choose Thriva

Thriva is the better choice if you want affordable, convenient, regular blood monitoring with minimal friction and you do not need a comprehensive panel every time. Their strengths are real and well-suited to specific use cases.

Choose Thriva if:

• You want the lowest possible entry price. Thriva’s base from ~£21 and average ~£69 packages make basic blood testing accessible to a wider audience. Not everyone needs 45+ biomarkers, and Thriva respects that.
• You are needle-phobic or strongly prefer pain-free collection. The Tasso+ autodraw is a genuine advancement. With 91% of users reporting it as pain-free, it removes the single biggest barrier to regular blood testing for many people.
• You want to build a quarterly testing habit. Thriva’s subscription model is designed to encourage regular monitoring. If you are tracking known metrics (cholesterol, HbA1c, thyroid) over time, the quarterly cadence is a sensible approach.
• You want fast results on standard tests. A 2-working-day turnaround for standard autodraw tests is swift and reliable.
• You trust their track record. A 4.5/5 Trustpilot rating from approximately 2,850 reviews is a strong signal of consistent service quality. Thriva has been operating since 2016 and has processed a large volume of tests.
• You prefer no-appointment self-collection. No need to be at home for a phlebotomist. You collect your sample when it suits you and post it back.

When to Choose Lola Health

Lola Health is the better choice if you want a comprehensive, clinically rigorous health assessment with professional blood collection and access to advanced longevity testing — all in a single service.

Choose Lola Health if:

• You want 45–70 biomarkers tested in a single session. Lola Health’s panels offer the breadth needed for a thorough baseline health assessment without add-ons, upgrades, or module selections. Everything is included.
• You want professional venous blood collection at home. A qualified phlebotomist ensures consistent sample quality, eliminates device failure risk, and provides enough blood volume for any assay the lab needs to run. The visit is included in the price.
• You need tests that require venous blood. Full blood count, comprehensive iron studies, and certain hormone panels require venous samples. With Lola Health, these are standard. With Thriva, they require a paid upgrade.
• You are interested in longevity science. TruAge epigenetic testing, GutID microbiome analysis, and NMN supplements make Lola Health a longevity platform, not just a testing service. If you want to measure your biological age and track it over time, this is the only option of the two that supports it.
• You want the best value at the comprehensive tier. Once you factor in Thriva’s venous upgrade cost (£38–£60) on top of a Full Works panel, Lola Health’s £130 Core Health panel with included phlebotomy is price-competitive and often cheaper for equivalent depth.
• You prefer doctor-reviewed results. Lola Health results are reviewed by a doctor and interpreted through a longevity-focused lens, providing context that goes beyond simple in-range or out-of-range flags.
• You want a structured 6-month health programme. Lola One memberships (Bronze, Silver, Gold) provide an ongoing, structured approach to health monitoring with professional collection at every stage.

The Verdict

Frequently Asked Questions

Last reviewed: February 2026. This article is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect the latest pricing, features, and clinical data from both services. All pricing is accurate at time of publication and may be subject to change.