Happy Thursday Genealogy Fam! How has National Family History Month been for you so far? Have you attended any in-person or virtual events, or have you simply focused on actually researching your family history? I’ve not really had a chance yet to delve into much genealogy, other than creating content for the blog and socials - August is always a SUPER busy time for me so I don’t really get to squeeze much family history in, but there’s still plenty of time to try and get a little research or event-attending done. For the time being, it’s time to pit the four major family tree services - Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilySearch, and Findmypast - against one another in a battle to the death! Well, maybe not to the death, but hopefully this post will help you get a little insight into all of the services and see which one is the right fit for you. Full disclosure: While I have certainly tried and played around with all four platforms, I’ve been using Ancestry for the longest. It’s the site where my mum started her online genealogy journey and when I started on this journey, it’s where I stayed. FREE ACCESS: Building a family tree and searching very basic records FREE TRIAL: Yes, 14 days SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: Ranging from AU$21.99 to AU$59.99 per month, depending on region plan chosen DNA: Yes, AU$129 + postage (Traits available for an additional AU$30) TREE HINTS: Yes MESSAGE MEMBERS: Yes LIMITATIONS: Advanced features and access to a majority of records requires a subscription Founded in 1996, Ancestry is probably the most well-known, recognisible and most-used platform. As of 2022, the site has access to a collection of over 30 billion records, ranging from census data, and birth and death indexes and certificates, to immigration, school, and military records. And that’s only based on what I’ve personally found for my ancestors. While you will need a subscription to access these records, you can still build your tree for free, and do very limited and basic searches. And as I mentioned in my ‘Doing Genealogy On A Budget’ post, Ancestry is usually pretty good at offering limited-time access to certain records for non-subscribers, so there’s plenty of chances to find records without forking out for a subscription, or when you’re taking a break from subscribing. Ancestry also owns other popular genealogy websites like Find A Grave, Fold3, Forces War Records UK, Geneanet, and Newspapers.com. This means it’s super easy to add information from these websites to your tree. However, an Ancestry subscription doesn’t necessarily include access to these site as well. FREE ACCESS: Building a family tree and searching very basic records FREE TRIAL: Yes, 14 days SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: Ranging from AU$109 to AU$239 per year, depending on plan chosen DNA: Yes, AU$149 + postage TREE HINTS: Yes MESSAGE MEMBERS: Yes LIMITATIONS: Advanced features and access to a majority of records requires a subscription; Storage limitations on photos/documents, and a restriction on the number of people allowed in a tree depending on subscription tier The youngest of the services, MyHeritage was founded in 2003 and boasts a collection of 19.4 billion records. And although it’s the baby of the family, it’s continually growing to be an ever-popular platform for users. One of the massive draw-cards for MyHertiage is their range of photo tools, which include Photo Enhancer, InColor, Deep Nostalgia, and AI Time Machine. These tools really help to bring new life to your old family photos and help preserve them for future generations. The only downside is you do require a subscription to utilise these features, and you do have a storage limit. MyHeritage also prides itself on its global reach and multilingual support, with the site currently supporting 42 languages. This makes it a supper attractive option for international and non-English users. FREE ACCESS: Building a family tree and access to an extensive collection of records and resources FREE TRIAL: Not needed SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: No subscription required DNA: No MESSAGE MEMBERS: Yes LIMITATIONS: Some records have restricted access and can only be viewed at a Family History Centre, an Affiliate Library, or by LDS members Founded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) in 1894, the Genealogical Society of Utah is the largest genealogy organisation in the world. FamilySearch was born in 1999, initially for LDS members, but eventually opening up to allow anyone to utilise the service and Family Tree. Pretty much every single record is available to view for free, with a select number of records restricted to in-person access at a Family History Centre or Affiliate Library. This is all thanks to donations and volunteers who maintain and expand the database. The big drawcard for FamilySearch is their collaborative “one world tree”, which as of March 2023 has over 1.5 billion individuals. This heavy reliance on user-contributed trees and data means there is varying degrees of accuracy, so it’s definitely important to double-check the information provided by others. Since 2011, FamilySearch has also held the annual family history and technology conference RootsTech, which is the largest conference of its kind in the world. Although held in Salt Lake City, Utah, the conference has moved to have an online element since the pandemic, making it even easier for anyone around the world to get involved. FamilySearch has actually also partnered with Ancestry, MyHeritage and Findmypast, and one of the bonuses of these partnerships is that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints receive free subscriptions to those services. I’m in no way religious, but I think that’s a pretty damn good perk for going to church… FREE ACCESS: Building a family tree and limited access to certain records and features FREE TRIAL: Yes, 7 days SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: Ranging from AU$231.99 to AU$349.99 per month, depending on plan chosen DNA: No, but partnered with Living DNA TREE HINTS: Yes MESSAGE MEMBERS: Yes LIMITATIONS: Advanced features and access to a majority of records requires a subscription; Limited coverage of records outside of the UK and Ireland Findmypast originated in 1965 with the formation of the genealogical group ‘Title Research’, with the first website established in 2003. Unlike the previous three sites, Findmypast has a primary focus on UK and Irish records. Two of the big drawcards is access to the 1921 Census and 1939 Register, both of which were highly-anticipated features when they launched on the site. Both will require a subscription to access, although the 1921 Census is also available pay-per-view for non-subscribers or those with a lower subscription tier. While lacking in international appeal, Findmypast is a wealth of knowledge for British genealogy with an extensive collection of parish records, census data, and newspaper archives through it’s partnerships with the British Library, Imperial War Museum, National Archives, and the National Archives of Ireland. So what are my thoughts? As I said at the top of this post, Ancestry is my ride-or-die when it comes to my genealogy research. It’s the site where I store my tree and focus my research. No matter which site I find records through, they will always be saved/uploaded to my tree on Ancestry. I’ve also done an AncestryDNA test which has revealed a lot about the roots of my ethnicity and helped connect me with a bunch of distant cousins. MyHeritage is my go-to for photos and I’ve loved taking advantage of special offers and free-access periods to repair, colorise and animate my photos. And like everyone else, I was OBSESSED with the AI Time Machine when it was released last year. If you’ve got a large collection of family photos, a MyHertiage subscription if definitely a worthwhile investment. It is a shame about the limitations regarding storage and the number of people allowed on your family tree - if you’re a keen researcher with a large family, you’ll quickly hit the quota and be urged to subscribe to keep adding more people (I have found a way around this by uploading my GEDCOM file from Ancestry, which exceeds the free plan limit but still uploaded everyone, although I can’t actually add anyone new). FamilySearch is great for those starting out or with a limited budget because there is so much available for free. And I’ll be honest, it’s a site that I always forget to utilise on a more regular basis, but it’s an absolute rabbit-hole once you start researching. The only thing I don’t like about the site is that you get connected into the “one world tree” database, which is something that anyone can add to and edit. While it sounds great in theory, I don’t like blindly accepting other people’s information if I can’t verify at least one source for that fact. I’m definitely one to take notes of what’s been added to the FamilySearch Tree and then doing my own research to know for sure it’s accurate. Finally, Findmypast is the site I’ve utilised the least, but it’s definitely a great resource for those based in the UK or with ancestors hailing from the UK. And obviously, the 1921 Census and 1939 Register are massive draw-cards for the platform. I will say, the price tag is a little expensive, especially when it doesn’t actually offer a month-to-month payment plan, which would make it a lot more appealing for short-term research. Subscription fee aside, it’s definitely a site that is a must at some point for anyone with UK or Irish ancestry. And when it comes to the interface of the websites, I really enjoy Ancestry’s, closely followed by MyHeritage and FamilySearch for their circular generation chart option (with colour-coding!). However, all four a pretty on-par with one another when it comes to interface, and the ease of use really comes down to how often you actually use the website - I use Ancestry the most, therefore it’s the one I’m more familiar and comfortable with. At the end of the day, it’s definitely a good idea to dip in and out of multiple services and try them all for size. Have a main one that all of your research funnels back to, but utilise what’s available on all platforms. And when it comes to subscriptions, it’s better to be subscribed to one platform at a time, so you’ll not only be reducing the impact to your bank account, but you can also narrow in your focus on one area at a time. What platform are you currently using, and what are your thoughts & experiences on these four major genealogy services? Let’s chat in the comments! Happy Researching! Victoria :) Genealogy Document Bundle
A$10.00
Get a handle on your family history research and recording with our Genealogy Digital Download Bundle! Packed with essential tools and resources, this bundle is designed to help you piece together your ancestry, create a detailed record of you family’s history, and keep track of your research. Whether you’re a seasoned genealogists or just getting started on this wonderful journey, this bundle has something for everyone. BUNDLE CONTENTS
All files are formatted as fillable PDFs (except the Circular Generation Chart) for convenience, but also work well when printed and filled in by hand. Instant download after purchase. Also available: Australian Genealogy Document Bundle with two extra documents for Australia-specific records and research. Australian Genealogy Bundle
A$12.00
Get a handle on your family history research and recording with our Genealogy Digital Download Bundle! Packed with essential tools and resources, this bundle is designed to help you piece together your ancestry, create a detailed record of you family’s history, and keep track of your research. Whether you’re a seasoned genealogists or just getting started on this wonderful journey, this bundle has something for everyone. BUNDLE CONTENTS
All files are formatted as fillable PDFs (except the Circular Generation Chart) for convenience, but also work well when printed and filled in by hand. Instant download after purchase. Also available: Genealogy Document Bundle without the two Australia-specific documents. Genealogy Record Templates
A$5.00 - A$7.00
Give the historic records in your collection a refresh with record templates that make it easier to read and extract information from important documents. While it’s great to have the original record, you cannot deny that they can be difficult to decipher - these templates allow you to transcribe these documents to make the information easier to ascertain and share with others. PRE-MADE TEMPLATES:
CUSTOM TEMPLATES If you’re seeking a template for a particular historical document, record, or event not covered by the pre-made options mentioned above, there is the option to request custom templates in the drop-down menu. Once purchased, we will be in touch to request a digital copy of the document you would like a template for. Template creation time varies depending on the complexity of the template, the current work-load, and the general ups & downs of life. We will endeavor to complete the template within a week. Please note that the records need to be in English. All templates will be fillable PDF files, where possible, and will be emailed to the address provided at the time of purchase - please allow at least a full business day for pre-made templates to be sent out. **This is NOT a transcription service - the templates are provided for YOU to transcribe your own records.** Family Group Record & Ancestor Timeline Bundle
A$2.50
Uncover your family’s intricate history and organise your genealogical research with precision using our Family Group Record and Ancestor Timeline templates! These templates offer a structured approach to documenting family relationships and tracing the chronological timeline of your ancestor’s lives. CONTENT Family Group Record: Capture essential family unit details, including births, marriages, and deaths; spouses and children; significant life events, and a space to include a photo of your ancestors. Ancestor Timeline: Visualise and map the significant milestones and events in your ancestor’s lives, creating a chronological sequence of important life events and cross-referencing that information with sources and records. All files are formatted as fillable PDFs for convenience, but also work well when printed and filled in by hand. Instant download after purchase. Also available: Genealogy Document Bundle and Australian Genealogy Document Bundle with even more useful templates to help with your research and recording. |
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