ExSeed vs YO: which home sperm test should you choose?
ExSeed is a CE-marked device test sold in the UK/EU that reports concentration and motility; YO is an FDA-cleared US device that reports motile sperm concentration. Pick by region and parameters. If you want to track change over time rather than one-off snapshots, a score-based tracker like LOAD is a third option.
At-home sperm tests and wellness scores — including LOAD's Sperm Health Score — are not a substitute for clinical evaluation. If you have concerns about your fertility, speak to a qualified healthcare professional.
Why compare ExSeed and YO?
Different regulatory regimes
YO holds FDA clearance (US regime); ExSeed holds a CE marking (EU/UK regime). Neither implies the other — which one matters to you depends mostly on where you live.
Different parameters
The headline numbers differ: ExSeed reports concentration and motility; YO reports motile sperm concentration. If you want a specific parameter, this decides it.
Both are snapshot tests
Both are built around per-test results. If your goal is seeing whether lifestyle changes are improving your numbers across the ~3-month sperm cycle, neither is designed for that — which is where tracking-first options come in.
How we compared
Regulatory clearance
Exact status under each product's own regime — FDA clearance for YO, CE marking for ExSeed.
Parameters reported
Which WHO semen parameters each test actually gives you per sample.
Price per test and refills
Up-front kit cost plus what repeat testing costs.
App and tracking
What each companion app does with your results beyond displaying them.
Availability
Which regions each ships to and supports.
Side-by-side comparison
| ExSeed | YO | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | At-home smartphone-based sperm test device | At-home smartphone-based sperm test device (app plus optical test device) |
| What it measures | Volume, Concentration, Motility, Total motile sperm count | Sperm concentration (M/mL), Sperm motility (%), Progressive motility (%), Motile sperm concentration (M/mL), Progressive motile sperm concentration (M/mL) |
| Regulatory status | CE-certified home sperm test (CE-marked, EU); not FDA-cleared | FDA-cleared home sperm test; WHO 6th Edition compliant (Class II medical device) |
| Price | Home Sperm Test Kit (2 tests): £94.99; Home Sperm Test Kit (5 tests): £149.99; Home Sperm Test Kit (10 tests): £219.99; Refill Kit (5 tests): £31.99 | YO Home Sperm - 3 Test Kit: $99.95 |
| Tracking & app | Companion app analyses the sample via the smartphone-mounted device, returning results in ~15 minutes (>95% accuracy claimed vs lab equipment) with an ExSeed Health score and personalized lifestyle programs; repeat tests via refill kits. | App reports per-test results and records a live video of the sample that can be saved or shared with a provider; designed around one-off or repeat snapshot tests rather than continuous scoring. |
| Logistics | Free UK & EU shipping; also ships to broader Europe (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Serbia) and Canada. Test performed at home with a smartphone-mounted device. | US-based (Medical Electronic Systems, Encino, California); ships within the US, international availability not specified. Test performed at home with the YO device and a smartphone app for iOS (iOS 15+ on the App Store) and Android (Android 6+). |
Facts sourced from each brand's own materials — see the numbered sources below. Prices and features change; we re-verify quarterly.
Regulatory status: CE-marked vs FDA-cleared
YO is an FDA-cleared home sperm test; ExSeed is a CE-marked home sperm test. These are different regulatory regimes covering different markets — FDA clearance is the US pathway, CE marking the EU/UK one — and neither is a superset of the other. Practically, US buyers will find YO aligned with their regulator, and UK/EU buyers ExSeed with theirs.
What each test measures
ExSeed reports sperm concentration and motility from a smartphone-based device reading. YO reports motile sperm concentration — a single combined metric of how many moving sperm you have per millilitre. Neither reports morphology or volume; for the full WHO panel you would need a mail-in lab analysis or a clinic.
Snapshots vs trends
Both products are designed around discrete tests: you test, you get that sample's numbers. Semen parameters fluctuate between samples, which is why the WHO advises against concluding from a single sample. If your goal is monitoring change — for example checking whether three months of better sleep and exercise moved your numbers — a tracking-first product like LOAD, which folds test results into a daily 0-100 Sperm Health Score, is built specifically for that. The Sperm Health Score is a wellness metric, not a diagnostic.
Where LOAD fits: tracking, not snapshots
Every product above answers “what are my numbers today?” LOAD is built for a different question: “are my numbers improving?” The app combines at-home test results with daily lifestyle data into the Sperm Health Score — a 0-100 composite that updates over time, so a retest recalibrates a trend line instead of producing another isolated snapshot.
The score is a wellness metric, not a diagnostic — it does not replace a clinical semen analysis, and it does not diagnose or rule out any condition.
Which should you choose?
- YO: Choose YO if you are in the US and want an FDA-cleared check of motile sperm concentration with results in minutes.
- ExSeed: Choose ExSeed if you are in the UK/EU and want a CE-marked test reporting concentration and motility.
- LOAD: Consider LOAD if one-off numbers are not enough and you want to track a 0-100 sperm health trend over months.
Getting started
Whichever you pick, test more than once: parameters vary sample to sample, and the WHO recommends multiple samples before drawing conclusions. If you go with LOAD, the app starts scoring from your lifestyle data on day one and each at-home test recalibrates the trend.
Frequently asked questions
Is YO or ExSeed more accurate?
They hold different clearances for different measurements: YO is FDA-cleared for motile sperm concentration, ExSeed is CE-marked and reports concentration and motility. Accuracy claims only apply to the parameters each is cleared to measure, so the right question is which parameters you need.
Can I use YO in the UK or ExSeed in the US?
Availability changes — check each brand's current shipping regions on their own site. Historically YO has been US-centred and ExSeed UK/EU-centred, which is also how their regulatory clearances map.
Do ExSeed or YO track sperm health over time?
Both apps store past test results, but both products are built around per-test snapshots rather than continuous scoring. If tracking a trend is the goal, a score-based tracker such as LOAD's Sperm Health Score is designed for that use case.
Do either replace a clinical semen analysis?
No. Both are screening tools, and neither reports the full WHO panel (morphology, volume). For clinical decisions, see a qualified clinician for a laboratory semen analysis.
Sources
- WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 6th ed. (2021)
- ExSeed — official site (facts accessed 2026-07-12)
- YO — official site (facts accessed 2026-07-12)
How this page was produced, sourced, and updated is described on our science page. Facts about compared products come from each brand's own published materials and are re-verified quarterly.