Adoption involves an unplanned pregnancy. Surrogacy involves a carefully planned pregnancy.

In surrogacy, one or both of the intended parents may have the option to share a genetic tie with the child. Unless it’s a kinship adoption, adopted children typically aren’t biologically related to the adoptive parents.

There are going to be uncontrollable factors and unknowns in either option. Conceiving and giving birth to a child in a traditional manner will also always involve some unknowns. There is no way to completely control the experience of becoming a parent.

That said, there is more control in gestational surrogacy than there is in adoption. Here are a few examples:

• In surrogacy, the intended parents and surrogate create a legal contract. In adoption, there is no such agreement, and the child may not ultimately be placed with that adoptive family.  The biological mother  may change her mind  about adoption, or a child may be reunited with their biological family after time in a foster care placement.
• In adoption, there may be little-to-no information about prenatal care or family health history whereas surrogates and gamete donors submit to careful medical screening.
• In surrogacy, the intended parents choose the woman who carries their baby and often choose whose gametes are used in the IVF process. In private domestic adoption, it’s the pregnant woman who chooses the adoptive family she wants her child to have.

To some degree, a lack of control is inevitable in any family-building method. However, surrogacy and adoption do offer different types of control over the creation of your family. Adoption involves an unplanned pregnancy. Surrogacy involves a carefully planned pregnancy.

For many families, one of the most important factors to consider is the adoption vs. surrogacy cost analysis. Common questions about the cost of surrogacy vs. adoption often include:

“What costs more: Adoption or surrogacy?” Surrogacy costs more than adoption, typically. Here’s a helpful breakdown of the costs associated with surrogacy, although the exact amounts will vary widely based on your situation and needs.

“Is it cheaper to adopt or have a surrogate?” The total costs of adoption are usually less than the total costs of surrogacy. However, the total cost of adoption will vary widely depending on the type of adoption you choose — the process of adopting a child from foster care typically costs very little, while the international adoption process can become very costly.

“How much do surrogates cost vs. adoption?” Most gestational surrogates do receive some amount of compensation, although this will vary. In private domestic adoption, a large percentage of the total expenses paid by the adoptive family go toward covering the birth mother’s pregnancy- and adoption-related expenses.

Both options can be costly. The cost of adoption vs. surrogacy can, sadly, be prohibitive for some families, but these costs are not arbitrary — they’re there for important reasons. No matter what, we’ll be here to offer guidance on affording your family-building journey, including referrals to grants, fundraising tips and more.