DISCOUNT CODES
These codes are for profile memberships to view donor profiles—not for purchasing donor vials.
- Seattle Sperm Bank: CARROT (3 months of standard access. Adult photos still require the additional paid upgrade.)
- California Cryobank: QUEERFAM25 or RAINBOW25
- Fairfax Cryobank: RODGERS26 or CR2026
- Xytex: Free profile access
- Cryomate: Free profile access
Choosing a sperm donor can feel overwhelming. After spending months researching donors, paying for profile access, comparing banks, and ultimately choosing a donor ourselves, we're breaking down everything we learned to hopefully save you time, money, and stress.
Before diving into sperm banks, we also share a quick IVF update. Matt talks about starting testosterone treatment after his microTESE, while Sidney shares how birth control, the withdrawal period, and her first baseline appointment have gone leading into egg retrieval week.
Then we compare the major sperm banks we personally researched, what we liked (and didn't like), the unexpected costs, how we narrowed down our search, and why we ultimately chose Cryomate.
Whether you're just beginning to explore donor conception or you're actively trying to choose a donor, this episode covers the practical advice we wish someone had given us.
Sperm Bank Comparison
Seattle Sperm Bank
- Smaller donor pool than some of the larger banks
- Adult photos require an additional paid upgrade
- We found a one option on here
- Offers guaranteed family slots (limited to 25 families), which we really liked
- Great option if limiting the number of genetic half-siblings is important to you
California Cryobank
- One of the largest donor selections we found
- Adult photos require a paid membership
- Hundreds of donor profiles to browse
- Despite the large inventory, we only found one donor we seriously considered
Fairfax:
- Several donor options we really liked
- Detailed donor information
- One of our favorite donors sold out before we were ready to purchase
- Overall one of our favorite banks to browse
Xytex:
- Free profile access
- Easy to browse without purchasing a membership
- Good option if you're just beginning your search
- We personally didn't find our donor here, but really liked it
Cryomate:
- Free profile access
- Smaller donor pool than some of the larger banks
- Excellent customer service
- Several high-quality donor options
- Easy purchasing process
- This is where we found our donor
Advice we'd give anyone starting the donor search
- Complete your genetic carrier screening before getting emotionally attached to a donor.
- Pay for adult photos if they're available—they're worth it.
- Decide on one or two non-negotiables instead of filtering for everything.
- Shop multiple sperm banks before making a decision.
- If your favorite donor is sold out, contact the bank—more inventory may become available later.
- Choosing a donor feels surprisingly similar to dating. You'll probably say "no" hundreds of times before finding the right one.
Known donor options we discussed
If reducing the number of genetic half-siblings is important to you, we also discussed:
These services help connect intended parents with known donors and generally have lower family limits than traditional sperm banks.
If you know of other sperm banks or discount codes that helped you during your donor search, send us a message! We'd love to continue building this resource for others navigating donor conception.
California CryobankFairfax CryobankXytexCryomate (the bank we ultimately chose)Advice we'd give anyone starting the donor searchKnown donor options we discussedDiscount codes we mentioned
