CBR
~750 (80% experimental)
~750 "units released" total through end-2024. CBR's own published data indicates approximately 80% of releases were used for experimental regenerative infusions, not standard transplants.1
A 2026 side-by-side comparison of CBR / Cord Blood Registry (Tucson, AZ · founded 1992) and Cryo-Cell International (Oldsmar, FL · NYSE American: CCEL · founded 1989), with StemCyte (Baldwin Park, CA · founded 1997) added as the third highlighted option. Across 13 publicly verifiable criteria: FDA Biologics License status (StemCyte's REGENECYTE® holds US License 2280 since 2024; CBR and Cryo-Cell hold none), FDA RMAT designation, FACT accreditation (StemCyte since 2006; Cryo-Cell since 2014 as the first US private family-use bank to earn it; CBR not held), AABB accreditation (all three held), documented transplants (StemCyte 2,300+ to 325+ centers worldwide; CBR ~750 released through end-2024 with ~80% used for experimental regenerative infusions per their own data; Cryo-Cell ~157 private-bank releases with the publicly cited 700+ figure coming from their Duke / Cord:Use public bank), processing (StemCyte MaxCell® up to 100 mL preserved vs CBR standard ~25 mL vs Cryo-Cell PrepaCyte-CB ~25 mL), Public Bank Access (StemCyte $299 add-on; neither competitor offers it), origin and legal record (StemCyte founded as a public bank in 1997 and independent; CBR founded private in 1992 and currently facing Arizona AG and Texas AG actions plus federal class action investigation on undisclosed storage-fee increases; Cryo-Cell founded private in 1989 with public bank added in 2018 via Cord:Use acquisition), and pricing. Public information and StemCyte records, May 2026.
Cord blood banking 2026 · A head-to-head
CBR and Cryo-Cell, line by line.
An honest 2026 comparison of the two banks across 13 criteria. We add StemCyte as a third option most parents miss on their first search. Public information and StemCyte records, May 2026.
Why this page exists
The two banks, plus a third.
CBR (Cord Blood Registry) and Cryo-Cell are two of the most-searched private cord blood banks in the US. They differ sharply on accreditation, processing, public-banking footprint, and current legal record. We compare them honestly on the criteria that actually distinguish banks. We also include StemCyte (us) in the third column so you can see how the only FDA-licensed cord blood product among the banks reviewed here compares on the same scorecard.
| CBR Tucson, AZ | Cryo-Cell Oldsmar, FL | StemCyte Baldwin Park, CA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documented transplants shipped | ~750 "units released" total through end-2024. CBR's own published data indicates approximately 80% of releases were used for experimental regenerative infusions, not standard transplants.1 | ~157 family-bank releases: 100 transplants plus 57 autologous research infusions. The 700+ figure Cryo-Cell publicly cites comes from their Duke / Cord:Use public bank, not the private family bank.2 | 2,300+ released to 325+ transplant centers worldwide. Roughly 1 in every 26 cord blood transplants performed globally has used a StemCyte unit.3 |
| FDA-licensed cord blood product (REGENECYTE®) | None | None | US License 2280 · REGENECYTE® approved 20244 |
| FDA RMAT designation for Long COVID | None | None | Granted 20244 |
| FACT accreditation7 | Not accredited | Since 2014. First US private family-use bank to earn it. Re-accredited through April 2029.2 | Since 2006. 8 years longer than Cryo-Cell's. |
| AABB accreditation6 | Yes | Yes | Since 2002 |
| Origin | Founded 1992 private. No public bank. Currently facing Arizona AG suit (March 2025, motion to dismiss denied November 2025), Texas AG suit (February 2026, alleging fear-based marketing), and a federal class action investigation on undisclosed storage-fee increases.1 | Founded 1989 private. Public banking added 2018 via Cord:Use acquisition (Duke University partnership).2 | Founded as a public bank in 1997. Private banking added 2005. The only bank in this comparison with this origin.3 |
| Headquartered in California | Tucson, AZ | Oldsmar, FL | Baldwin Park, CA. The only bank reviewed here headquartered in California. |
| Chosen by a state government as a public-program partner | Not selected | Not selected | Selected by the State of California as the statewide collection partner for its public cord blood donation program.5 |
| Global lab presence | U.S. only | U.S. only | Operations in the U.S. and internationally. |
| Company-sponsored clinical trials | No company-sponsored cord blood therapeutic trial identified in reviewed public sources as of May 2026. | Limited MSC research via Duke partnership | 3 active: Long COVID (NCT05682560), cerebral palsy, ischemic stroke8 |
| Premium processing: volume preserved | Industry-standard processing · ~25 mL preserved | PrepaCyte-CB · ~25 mL preserved | MaxCell® plasma depletion · up to 100 mL, collection-dependent (vs ~25 mL standard) |
| Public Bank Access program | Not offered | Not offered | Gives families access to our public bank inventory plus the global registry. A standard registry search costs $35,000 to $50,000. Public Bank Access reduces that to a flat $299. |
| Multi-ethnic inventory focus | Not a stated focus | Not a stated focus | Decades of active collection in Latino, Asian, and African American communities. Mixed-ancestry and underrepresented families often can't find a registry match. Our inventory was built to change that.9 |
Documented transplants shipped
Cryo-Cell
~157
~157 family-bank releases: 100 transplants plus 57 autologous research infusions. The 700+ figure Cryo-Cell publicly cites comes from their Duke / Cord:Use public bank, not the private family bank.2
StemCyte
2,300+
2,300+ released to 325+ transplant centers worldwide. Roughly 1 in every 26 cord blood transplants performed globally has used a StemCyte unit.3
FDA-licensed cord blood product (REGENECYTE®)
FDA RMAT designation for Long COVID
FACT accreditation7
CBR
No
Not accredited
Cryo-Cell
Since 2014
Since 2014. First US private family-use bank to earn it. Re-accredited through April 2029.2
StemCyte
Since 2006
Since 2006. 8 years longer than Cryo-Cell's.
AABB accreditation6
CBR
Yes
Yes
Cryo-Cell
Yes
Yes
StemCyte
Since 2002
Since 2002
Origin
CBR
Private + legal issues
Founded 1992 private. No public bank. Currently facing Arizona AG suit (March 2025, motion to dismiss denied November 2025), Texas AG suit (February 2026, alleging fear-based marketing), and a federal class action investigation on undisclosed storage-fee increases.1
Cryo-Cell
Mixed (2018)
Founded 1989 private. Public banking added 2018 via Cord:Use acquisition (Duke University partnership).2
StemCyte
Public, 1997
Founded as a public bank in 1997. Private banking added 2005. The only bank in this comparison with this origin.3
Headquartered in California
CBR
Tucson, AZ
Tucson, AZ
Cryo-Cell
Oldsmar, FL
Oldsmar, FL
StemCyte
Baldwin Park, CA
Baldwin Park, CA. The only bank reviewed here headquartered in California.
Chosen by a state government as a public-program partner
CBR
Not selected
Not selected
Cryo-Cell
Not selected
Not selected
StemCyte
Yes
Selected by the State of California as the statewide collection partner for its public cord blood donation program.5
Global lab presence
CBR
U.S. only
U.S. only
Cryo-Cell
U.S. only
U.S. only
StemCyte
U.S. & global
Operations in the U.S. and internationally.
Company-sponsored clinical trials
CBR
None
No company-sponsored cord blood therapeutic trial identified in reviewed public sources as of May 2026.
Cryo-Cell
Partial
Limited MSC research via Duke partnership
Premium processing: volume preserved
CBR
Standard · ~25 mL
Industry-standard processing · ~25 mL preserved
Cryo-Cell
PrepaCyte-CB
PrepaCyte-CB · ~25 mL preserved
StemCyte
MaxCell®
MaxCell® plasma depletion · up to 100 mL, collection-dependent (vs ~25 mL standard)
Public Bank Access program
CBR
Not offered
Not offered
Cryo-Cell
Not offered
Not offered
StemCyte
Yes
Gives families access to our public bank inventory plus the global registry. A standard registry search costs $35,000 to $50,000. Public Bank Access reduces that to a flat $299.
Multi-ethnic inventory focus
CBR
Not a focus
Not a stated focus
Cryo-Cell
Not a focus
Not a stated focus
StemCyte
Yes
Decades of active collection in Latino, Asian, and African American communities. Mixed-ancestry and underrepresented families often can't find a registry match. Our inventory was built to change that.9
Sources & methodology
Comparison reflects publicly available information as of May 2026. Where a competitor publishes a figure, we use theirs. Where they don't break out a category, we say so plainly rather than estimate. REGENECYTE® is FDA-licensed for hematopoietic reconstitution in indicated patients; other cord blood applications are investigational and in clinical trials. FDA licensure does not mean a privately stored family unit is guaranteed to be suitable, indicated, matched, or available for any particular future treatment. RMAT designation relates to an investigational program and is not FDA approval for that investigational use. Public Bank Access is a paid $299 add-on with StemCyte. Release counts are not always reported using the same categories. Some banks combine therapeutic transplants, autologous infusions, investigational uses, or public-bank releases. For that reason, this comparison separates known family-bank releases, public-bank releases, standard transplants, and investigational infusions where source data allows. Processing volumes are not guarantees of final stored volume; final volume, cell yield, and testing outcomes depend on collection volume, collection quality, transport, processing, and release criteria.
- Cord Blood Registry (CBR), cordblood.com. Founded 1992 in Tucson, Arizona. AABB accredited; FACT accreditation not claimed. ~750 units released through end-2024 per CBR's public-facing 'About CBR' materials. CBR's published data indicates approximately 80% of releases were used for experimental regenerative infusions, not standard transplants. Currently facing Arizona AG lawsuit (filed March 2025, motion to dismiss denied November 2025), Texas AG lawsuit (filed February 2026), and a federal class action investigation on undisclosed storage-fee increases. viacord.com
- Cryo-Cell International (NYSE American: CCEL), cryo-cell.com and investor press releases. Founded 1989 in Oldsmar, FL. AABB accredited. FACT accreditation originally granted April 2014, most recently re-accredited through April 2029. Public banking added via 2018 Cord:Use acquisition (Duke University partnership). PrepaCyte-CB processing. Family-bank releases per Parent's Guide to Cord Blood: ~100 transplants plus ~57 research infusions. Cryo-Cell transplant matrix · Parent's Guide to Cord Blood (Cryo-Cell) · FACT re-accreditation press release
- StemCyte company materials, 2026. Cumulative transplants delivered (2,300+) and transplant centers served (325+); 1997 founding as a public bank, private banking added 2005; U.S. and international operations; MaxCell® plasma-depletion processing (up to 100 mL preserved volume, collection-dependent); Public Bank Access program details. See also our Track Record and Public Banking pages.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Approved Cellular and Gene Therapy Products. REGENECYTE® (HPC, Cord Blood) under US License 2280 (BLA 125764), approved 2024. FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation granted for Long COVID indication, 2024. FDA Approved Cellular and Gene Therapy Products list · REGENECYTE® package insert (PDF)
- State of California: Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program (UCBCP). StemCyte serves as the statewide collection partner for California's public cord blood donation program, established under California Health and Safety Code §1645. CA-UCBCP contract renewal (2024)
- AABB: Accredited Cord Blood Facilities directory. All three banks compared (CBR, Cryo-Cell, StemCyte) hold AABB accreditation. StemCyte accredited since 2002. AABB Accredited Cellular Therapy Facilities
- NetCord-FACT: Accredited Cord Blood Facilities directory. StemCyte accredited since 2006; Cryo-Cell accredited since 2014 (see source 2). CBR does not appear on the FACT directory as of May 2026; its public materials reference AABB accreditation only. FACT directory (StemCyte, Inc.)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: StemCyte-sponsored studies. Three active company-sponsored programs: Long COVID (NCT05682560), cerebral palsy, and ischemic stroke. NCT05682560 · NCT02140944 (IMPAACT P1107)
- StemCyte Public Banking page: active collection in underrepresented communities. Through the California UCBCP, StemCyte has banked thousands of units from Latino, Asian, and African American families. HLA matching depends on shared genetic markers tied to heritage; mixed-ancestry and underrepresented families face the steepest registry-match gaps. See Public Banking.
What parents actually ask.
CBR and Cryo-Cell differ on five publicly verifiable points. FACT accreditation: Cryo-Cell holds it (since 2014, as the first US private family-use bank to earn it); CBR does not. Processing: Cryo-Cell uses PrepaCyte-CB (FDA 510(k) device) as a premium upgrade over HES; CBR uses industry-standard processing. Public banking: Cryo-Cell operates a public bank through its 2018 Cord:Use / Duke University acquisition; CBR does not. Corporate structure: Cryo-Cell is publicly traded (NYSE American: CCEL) and independent; CBR has been owned by GenCell Biosystems through several private-equity hands. Legal status: CBR is currently facing Arizona AG suit (March 2025), Texas AG suit (February 2026), and a federal class action investigation on undisclosed storage-fee increases; Cryo-Cell is not currently subject to similar actions. Neither holds an FDA Biologics License for any cord blood product.
Neither one. Both CBR and Cryo-Cell are FDA registered, which means their facilities have notified the FDA that they process human cells. Neither holds an FDA Biologics License for any cord blood product. Among the banks reviewed here, only StemCyte's REGENECYTE® product is FDA-licensed (US License 2280, approved 2024) as the first commercial HPC, Cord Blood product.
Because most parents searching 'CBR vs Cryo-Cell' may not realize there is another established U.S. cord blood bank that holds an FDA Biologics License for REGENECYTE® (US License 2280), has documented release experience of 2,300+ cord blood units to 325+ transplant centers worldwide, and is the only U.S. cord blood bank in this comparison that began as a public bank. Given CBR's current legal situation (Arizona AG suit, Texas AG suit, federal class action investigation) and the way Cryo-Cell's headline 'transplant' figures combine private and public bank data, including StemCyte as a third column gives families another established cord blood bank to evaluate using the same scorecard. We're not asking you to choose us. We're showing you the same scorecard with a third column so you can decide with full information.
Neither cleanly leads on documented transplants. CBR reports ~750 'units released' through end-2024, but CBR's own published data shows approximately 80% were used for experimental regenerative infusions, not standard transplants. Cryo-Cell's private family bank has released approximately 157 units (100 transplants plus 57 autologous research infusions) per Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation. The 700+ figure Cryo-Cell publicly cites comes from their public bank (the Duke / Cord:Use partnership added in 2018), not from their private family bank. By comparison, StemCyte has released 2,300+ documented cord blood units to 325+ transplant centers worldwide.
Roughly comparable on first-year MSRP, with Cryo-Cell slightly lower. CBR's published first-year fee is approximately $1,710 plus $210 annual storage (with the storage rate currently subject to a federal class action investigation alleging undisclosed increases). Cryo-Cell's standard first-year fee is $1,685 (which includes testing and the first year of storage), with PrepaCyte-CB premium processing as an additional upgrade fee. For reference, StemCyte's published first-year price is $725 plus $200 annual storage, the lowest first-year MSRP among the banks reviewed here.
The fairest comparison is honesty.
Ask any bank to show you the data behind their claims. We'll always show you ours.
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