Ancestry
This subscription behemoth ($149 for six months’ global access) includes more than 32,000 collections, with 2019 or early 2020 additions including Holocaust records, WWII draft files and 10 million English parish records. Also new is the ability to search for other members by name or common interests. Use the Ancestry mobile app to take your trees and research with you.
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FamilySearch
From family trees to more than 6 billion searchable records (and billions more to browse), this free site in an essential starting point and research bookmark. The Family Tree and Memories mobile apps let you research and record on the go.
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Findmypast
British Isles ancestors, subscribing to this site ($179 annually for full access) is a must. (The site also has a pay-as-you-go credit system, if you’d prefer that flexibility.) Findmypast also offers US censuses and other records, Australian collections, DNA testing, improved newspaper search and a companion mobile app.
VISIT SITE
We’re emphasizing genealogy-focused sites in this list, but can’t omit this omnipresent search engine, which also offers mapping, book searching, translation, email and much more.
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HeritageQuest Online
You can’t subscribe to this service yourself, but your local library can—giving you free access with a library card. Originally just a half-dozen collections, HeritageQuest has partnered with Ancestry.com to add many of that site’s collections.
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Internet Archive
Sort of like a Google that has time travel, the “Wayback Machine” here archives and searches more than 401 billion sites from the past. The main site also serves up a wealth of digital documents, including family and local histories, as well as goodies ranging from old-time radio to patents.
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MyHeritage
Build your tree here, get your DNA tested ($79) and use SuperSearch to scour more than 10 billion records, including Scandinavian and French collections. Alerts link these elements, and a DNA hinting tool reconstructs possible tree relationships between genetic matches. Plus, a powerful mobile app puts most site features in the palm of your hand. Complete access to records and unlimited tree building costs $299 per year.
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