When it comes to managing your family tree online, are you aware of all the genealogy software at your fingertips? Whether you're looking for free family tree software or a premium program, we've rated and reviewed some of the market's top sellers for both Mac and Windows. So take your time and find out what best fits your family tree.
Price: Basic (unlimited offline family file plus up to 250-person, 250MB online tree), free; Premium (up to 2,500-person, 500MB online tree), $75 per year; Premium Plus (unlimited tree size and storage), $119.40 per year
Biggest draws: ease of use, photo management, charts, online tree publishing, support for 36 languages
Drawbacks: reports, source documentation
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Price: $39.99; includes two-week subscription to Ancestry.com US Deluxe collection. You can install two copies of the program on computers within the same household.
Manufacturer: Ancestry.com, (800) 262-3787
Biggest draws: Wall charts, searching Ancestry.com, synchronizing online and offline family trees
Drawbacks: GEDCOM file sharing, documenting sources, book publishing
Read our reviewPrice: $69.95 (includes six-month subscription to Ancestry.com)
Manufacturer: Ancestry.com, (800) 262-3787, FamilyTreeMaker.com
Biggest draws: Lots of bells and whistles; charts, reports and book publishing; integration with Ancestry.com and web searching; help options and companion guide
Drawbacks: Learning curve; no independent web publishing; buggy merging of online data
Read our reviewPrice: $19.95
Manufacturer: Individual Software
Biggest draws: Easy to use, good family group sheets and pedigree charts, PAF compatibility, toll-free help number
Drawbacks: It's essentially an old version of Ancestral Quest
Price: $29.95
Manufacturer: Individual Software
Biggest draws: Easy navigation, outstanding printed reports, toll-free help number, comes bundled with Progeny Software's Charting Companion
Drawbacks: Essentially an old version of Ancestral Quest
Price: $29.95 download, $39.95 on CD with printed manual, $21.95 upgrade from version 6
Manufacturer: Millennia Corp.
Biggest draws: Ease of use, research guidance, charts and reports
Drawbacks: Pedigree view doesn’t show exact dates and places
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Free Standard Version
RootsMagic 4
Price: $29.95, $19.95 upgrade
Manufacturer: RootsMagic, Inc.
Biggest draws: Ease of use, documenting sources, charts and reports
Drawbacks: Nothing major
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Free trial