Function Health vs Quest Direct Testing: $365 membership vs pay-per-test
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Function Health and Quest direct testing both get you lab work without a doctor's referral, at opposite pricing models. Function is a $365-per-year membership built around one large annual panel. Quest, the lab company itself, sells its tests individually online through QuestHealth, no membership and no doctor visit required.
What does each one cost?
Function Health charges $365 per year, billed annually, covering its 160+ test panel. Quest sells tests one at a time: per its own site, a metabolic panel runs $49, vitamin D $99, testosterone $159, with more than 150 tests available and HSA/FSA cards accepted. If you want one or two specific tests, Quest is dramatically cheaper. If you want the mega-panel, Function's bundle costs less than buying a comparable spread of tests one by one.
What is the experience like?
Both use real clinical labs. Quest draws at its own nationwide patient service centers, says no doctor visit is required but an independent healthcare provider is involved throughout the process, and lets you discuss results with that provider at no extra cost; in-home collection is available for an additional $79 fee. Function sends you to one of its 2,000+ partner labs or offers at-home draws, then wraps the results in a longevity dashboard with doctor-reviewed insights. Quest is the no-frills pipeline. Function is the dashboard and interpretation layer.
Which one should you pick?
If you know which test you need, a vitamin D level, a thyroid check, a testosterone panel, buy it directly from Quest and discuss the result with their provider free. If you want the broadest annual screen with trend tracking, Function. Either way, bring abnormal results to a clinician. Pymander, the free text-first AI doctor behind this site, can help you read results for free, and its safety escalation logic is documented in its safety architecture working paper.
What a Pymander AI doctor consult looks like
Illustrative example, not a real member's messages.
Common questions
How much does Function Health cost?
$365 per year, billed annually, per its own site, covering 160+ lab tests per year.
How much do Quest tests cost without a doctor?
Per its QuestHealth site, individual tests start around $49 for a metabolic panel, $99 for vitamin D, and $159 for a testosterone panel, with more than 150 tests available. No membership and no doctor visit required.
Do Quest direct tests include doctor review?
Yes. Quest says an independent healthcare provider is involved throughout the process, and you can discuss your results with them at no extra cost.
Which is better value?
For one or two targeted tests, Quest direct by a wide margin. For a broad annual panel of 160+ tests with a tracking dashboard, Function's bundle costs less than assembling the same coverage one test at a time.
Can I use HSA or FSA money?
Quest accepts HSA and FSA cards at checkout for most tests, per its own site. Function Health is a cash-pay membership.
Do these replace a doctor?
No. Both provide testing and interpretation. Diagnosis and treatment still need a clinician, and a free Pymander AI doctor consult can help you understand results first.