Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we believe in.
If you're trying to decide between Medichecks, Thriva, and Forth, you're already ahead of most men your age. The majority are still waiting for their GP to order a testosterone panel, which, if you've tried that recently, you know can take months and rarely includes anything useful.
I've used all three. Different purposes, different years, different reasons. This isn't a sponsored comparison, I'm going to tell you which one I'd actually recommend depending on what you're trying to find out.
The short answer: Medichecks for a comprehensive one-off panel, Forth if you want to track biomarkers over time. Thriva is fine, but it sits awkwardly between the two and doesn't quite do either as well.
What each service actually does
Before getting into the head-to-head, it's worth being clear on what these three are actually selling, because they're not identical products.
Medichecks is a private blood testing service. You order a test, they send you a kit or you book a clinic appointment, and a qualified doctor reviews your results and flags anything abnormal. It's a one-and-done service, you can order whenever you want, as often as you want.
Thriva started as a subscription blood testing service. You'd get a kit every 3 months, take a finger-prick sample at home, and track changes over time. They've since shifted the model somewhat, but the core idea was habitual testing built into a subscription.
Forth is primarily a longitudinal tracking platform. The emphasis is on seeing how your biomarkers change across time, the dashboard is built for trend analysis across multiple tests, not just reading a single result. It covers 40+ biomarkers.
I used Medichecks when I first started taking my health seriously around 38. The results came back with my testosterone at 11.2 nmol/L, below the lab reference range, with SHBG that explained why I felt worse than the number suggested. That result changed what I did next. A finger-prick test wouldn't have given me that granularity.
The comparison: what matters
Sample method, why it matters more than you think
This is where most men get tripped up. Finger-prick testing is convenient, but it has real limitations for testosterone specifically.
Thriva is finger-prick only. That's fine for cholesterol and some inflammatory markers, but if you're testing testosterone and you care about accuracy, venous blood is the standard. Medichecks gives you the choice, you can book a nurse at one of their 600+ partner clinics, or use their home finger-prick kit if that's what you prefer.
Forth offers venous draws through selected clinics, which gives you the same accuracy but with less flexibility than Medichecks' network.
If you want accurate testosterone data, book the venous draw. The finger-prick is convenient but less reliable for hormones. Medichecks has the largest clinic network in the UK.
Doctor review, the thing Medichecks does that the others don't
Every Medichecks result is reviewed by a qualified doctor, who leaves notes on anything outside the normal range. This isn't just a lab report with asterisks, it's an actual clinical commentary.
If your testosterone comes back at 8.5 nmol/L, a Medichecks doctor will note that this is below the range, flag any other markers that may explain it (SHBG, LH, FSH, DHEA), and recommend whether to see a GP.
Thriva and Forth don't do this. You get your numbers, the dashboard highlights anything out of range, and you're on your own for interpretation.
For a first panel, or if you're going to use results to have a conversation with a GP or private doctor, the Medichecks review is genuinely useful. I've used it twice to provide context to a private doctor before a consultation.
Where Forth wins: longitudinal tracking
For men who already know their baseline and want to track changes over time, whether you're optimising lifestyle, adjusting supplements, or monitoring TRT, Forth's dashboard is the best available.
The key insight with longitudinal tracking is that your reference range is you, not the lab population. A testosterone at 16 nmol/L might be normal for a 45-year-old on the charts, but if yours was 22 six months ago, that's a meaningful drop. Forth makes those trends visible.
What about Thriva?
Thriva's original proposition was good, habitual testing built into a subscription, delivered to your door. The issue is that the finger-prick limitation is a real constraint for hormone testing, the doctor review is basic compared to Medichecks, and the dashboard isn't as sophisticated as Forth's.
It's not bad. If you're new to home blood testing and want something that forces a quarterly habit, Thriva is a reasonable starting point. But if you care about testosterone specifically, either of the other two serves you better.
I tried Thriva for two quarters when they were newer. The finger-prick was easy enough. But when I saw my testosterone was "in range" without any context about where in the range or how my SHBG was affecting free testosterone, I realised I needed more. Switched to Medichecks for the venous draw and doctor review. Night and day.
The verdict by use case
First blood panel ever, want to understand where you are: Medichecks Advanced Male. Venous draw, doctor commentary, comprehensive biomarkers. Around £170 but you're getting actual clinical oversight.
Already know your baseline, want to track changes: Forth. The longitudinal dashboard and trend analysis are built exactly for this. Annual subscription makes the cost per test reasonable.
On TRT and need regular monitoring: Either. Medichecks for quarterly venous draws with doctor review. Forth for continuous trend tracking. Some men use both, Medichecks for the deep one-off, Forth for monitoring in between.
Budget-conscious first test: Medichecks' basic testosterone panel starts at £69 and includes the most important markers. Not as comprehensive as the Advanced Male, but it gives you total testosterone, SHBG, and free testosterone calculated.
Internal links for more context
If you want to understand what to do with your results once you have them, I've covered that in detail in the blood test results guide for men. For the specific markers that matter most, read the testosterone biomarkers explained article.
If your results come back showing low testosterone and you want to understand your options, the TRT UK guide is the most comprehensive thing I've written on the topic.
For men who want a phlebotomist at home rather than going to a clinic, I've reviewed Lola Health's home blood draw service, different category but worth knowing about.
Quick summary
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to Medichecks. If you purchase through these links, Male Optimal earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. This does not affect my recommendations, I've used both services and give honest opinions based on personal experience.
