A 2026 side-by-side comparison of StemCyte and CBR (Cord Blood Registry, now part of GenCell Biosystems), the two most-searched private cord blood banks in the US. Across 15 criteria: FDA Biologics License status (StemCyte's REGENECYTE® holds US License 2280 since 2024, CBR holds none), FDA RMAT designation, FACT accreditation (StemCyte since 2006, CBR not held), AABB accreditation (both held), documented transplants (StemCyte 2,300+, CBR ~150 standard transplants of 750+ total releases per CBR's own data), processing volume (StemCyte MaxCell® up to 100 mL, CBR ~25 mL standard), public bank access (StemCyte $299 add-on, CBR not offered), pricing ($725 first year vs $1,710), engraftment guarantee, and legal record (CBR: publicly reported legal and regulatory actions concerning marketing and storage-fee practices; StemCyte: none). Public information and StemCyte records, May 2026.
StemCyte and CBR, line by line.
A side-by-side comparison across the criteria cord blood transplant physicians, FDA reviewers, and accreditation bodies use to evaluate banks. Public information and StemCyte records, May 2026.
The two banks, on every dimension that matters.
StemCyte and CBR (Cord Blood Registry, now part of GenCell Biosystems) are the two most-searched private cord blood banks in the US. They're often presented as equivalents at different prices. They're not. The 15 rows below are the criteria a transplant physician or FDA reviewer would actually use to evaluate the two banks, plus the things parents most often ask about: price, guarantee, and legal record.
| StemCyte Baldwin Park, CA · since 1997 | CBR Tucson, AZ · since 1992 | |
|---|---|---|
| Documented transplants 4 | 2,300+ units · 325+ centers Approximately 1 of every 26 cord blood transplants performed globally has used a StemCyte unit. | 750+ releases (end-2024) Approximately 80% experimental or regenerative infusions per CBR's own data, not standard transplants. |
| FDA regulatory status 1 | Active BLA · US License 2280 REGENECYTE® approved 2024. The only FDA-licensed cord blood product among the banks reviewed here. | FDA registered only No FDA-licensed cord blood product. Facility registration only. |
| FDA RMAT designation 1 | Granted 2024 · Long COVID FDA granted REGENECYTE® RMAT designation for Long COVID in 2024. RMAT is reserved for therapies with preliminary clinical evidence of treating serious conditions. | None No RMAT designation. |
| FACT accreditation 2 | Since 2006 Continuous FACT accreditation. Voluntary, costlier, more rigorous than AABB; a factor in the ranking of America's Best Hospitals. | Not accredited Does not appear on the NetCord-FACT directory. |
| AABB accreditation 3 | Since 2002 Continuous AABB accreditation. | Accredited AABB held. |
| Origin & legal record 8 | Public bank, 1997 · no proceedings Private banking added 2005. The only bank in this comparison with this origin. | Private bank, 1992 · legal matters noted CBR has recently been named in publicly reported legal and regulatory actions concerning marketing and storage-fee practices. Because these matters may evolve, families should review the current public record and ask each bank directly about pricing, fee increases, contract terms, and complaint history. |
| Headquartered in California | Baldwin Park, CA The only bank reviewed here headquartered in California. | Tucson, AZ CBR's processing lab is in Tucson, Arizona. |
| State public-program partner 10 | California UCBCP Selected by the State of California as the statewide collection partner for the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program (Health and Safety Code §1645). | Not selected CBR is not a public-program partner for any state cord blood collection program. |
| Global lab presence | U.S. & global Operations in the U.S. and internationally. | U.S. only CBR operates in the U.S. only. |
| Company-sponsored clinical trials 9 | 3 active Long COVID (NCT05682560), cerebral palsy, and ischemic stroke. Collaborator on IMPAACT P1107 (HIV remission, "New York patient"). | None identified No company-sponsored cord blood therapeutic trial identified in reviewed public sources as of May 2026. |
| Processing volume 5 | MaxCell® · up to 100 mL Plasma depletion. Approximately 4× the industry-standard preserved volume. Up to 100 mL when collection volume allows; actual stored volume depends on the amount and quality of cord blood collected. | Standard · ~25 mL Industry-standard processing. |
| Public bank access (PBA) 6 | PBA · $299 paid add-on Reduces $35,000 to $50,000 registry-search cost. The only bank in this comparison operating a public cord blood bank simultaneously. | Not offered CBR does not operate a public cord blood bank. |
| Multi-ethnic inventory focus 11 | Active focus Decades of active collection in Latino, Asian, and African American communities through the California UCBCP. Mixed-ancestry and underrepresented families often face the steepest registry-match gaps. | Not a focus Not a stated focus in CBR's public materials. |
| Published price · first year 7 | $725 + $200/yr storage Lowest first-year cord blood MSRP among the banks reviewed here. | $1,710 + $210/yr storage Annual storage rate subject to a federal class action investigation. |
| Engraftment guarantee | LifeSaver · $50K + replacement unit Included free with every plan. Replacement donor unit sourced from StemCyte public inventory. | Storage warranty Warranty around storage condition, not an engraftment-failure remedy. |
Frequently asked.
Neither. CBR is FDA registered, which means the facility has notified the FDA that it processes human cells. CBR does not hold 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).
CBR has recently been named in publicly reported legal and regulatory actions concerning marketing and storage-fee practices. Because these matters may evolve, families should review the current public record and ask each bank directly about pricing, fee increases, contract terms, and complaint history.
StemCyte was founded in 1997 as a public cord blood bank. No parent company taking a markup and no venture capital underwriting marketing-driven prices. The lower MSRP reflects the company's structure, not a quality compromise.
Comparing CBR against the other major banks? See CBR vs ViaCord and CBR vs Cryo-Cell.
Sourced, scored, and side by side.
If StemCyte fits your family, you can build a plan in just a few minutes.
Build your planReflects publicly available information as of May 25, 2026. Pricing reflects standard MSRP, not promotional pricing. REGENECYTE® is FDA-licensed for hematopoietic reconstitution in indicated patients. 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. 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.
- FDA. Approved Cellular and Gene Therapy Products list. REGENECYTE®, US License 2280, approved 2024. FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation for Long COVID, 2024.
- NetCord-FACT. Accredited Cord Blood Facilities directory. StemCyte accredited since 2006; CBR does not appear.
- AABB. Accredited Cellular Therapy Facilities directory. Both StemCyte (since 2002) and CBR hold AABB accreditation.
- StemCyte company materials, 2026 (2,300+ transplants, 325+ centers); Cord Blood Registry "About CBR" page, cordblood.com (750+ released, ~80% experimental per CBR's own data, end-2024).
- StemCyte MaxCell® processing overview.
- StemCyte Public Bank Access program. Registry-search cost range per Parents Guide to Cord Blood.
- Published pricing pages at stemcyte.com and cordblood.com, accessed May 25, 2026.
- Arizona AG press release (March 2025), docket through November 2025; Texas AG press release (February 2026); federal class action investigation, classaction.org.
- ClinicalTrials.gov. StemCyte-sponsored studies: Long COVID (NCT05682560), cerebral palsy, ischemic stroke. IMPAACT P1107 (NCT02140944) for the HIV remission case.
- California UCBCP. Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program, California Health and Safety Code §1645. StemCyte serves as statewide collection partner.
- StemCyte Public Banking page. Active collection in Latino, Asian, and African American communities through the California UCBCP.
Updated May 25, 2026