[Free] Genealogy Software

July 16, 2008

Ok, so I have been scouring the internet, searching for the best software out there to organize my research for at least two years now.  I have downloaded and tried all the free programs and also tried trial versions of many of the purchaseable software packages.  To be completely honest, it is very hard to find anything that has an intuitive interface yet is powerful at the same time.  Nevertheless, below I will mention the two which I consider the best of the bunch - they of course have their flaws, but these can generally be overlooked and workarounds can be found.  I will do my best to describe each, but the best way to see what program fits your needs best is to simply download and try them.  Best of all - my two favorites are 100% FREE!

NOTE: I am NOT in any way associated with the producers of these software packages, nor is this an official endorsement - simply a review of 2 software packages.

Personal Ancestry File (PAF) 5.2
PAF was the first genealogy I actually liked.  It is actually produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who coincidentally collect tons of information on ancestry regardless of the individuals faith.  Check out their genealogical archives at familysearch.org.  You can read a larger review on about.com at http://genealogy.about.com/cs/softwarereviews/gr/paf.htm.  Get the software here: http://www.familysearch.org/eng/paf/.

MyHeritage Family Tree Builder
After running into a couple of difficulties with PAF, I found MyHeritage Family Tree Builder.  They bill themselves as the “best free genealogy software” and they very well may be.  They have perhaps one of the easiest to use interfaces.  It is great for beginners as it shows data entry screens in a more vertical fashion than typical pedigree chart, like most people are used to seeing.  Lastly, the largest (and only) problem I have had so far is how to attach sources and media to a specific individual.  Don’t get me wrong, it is possible to do both of these things I just mentioned, but it can be a bit tricky depending what screen you are coming from (not all data entry pages make this easy while others do).  Regardless, this is the current genealogy data entry software that I use.  Get the software here: http://www.myheritage.com/download-family-tree-builder or here: http://www.myheritage.com/family-tree-builder.

Of course both software packages feature powerful methods and tools for cataloging yoru research and each one allows you to export to the stander GEDCOM data format.

Many other genealogy softwares exist and if you know of one that you believe is better, please feel to leave a comment on this post - I am always looking for the next best thing!

Posted in Genealogy Research, Software