Genealogy Software Tools

stackopaper.gifAll you need to keep accurate track of your genealogy is a good pen and a pad of paper. That is, until you have more than your immediate family in mind!

If you’re interested in taking your research seriously — and you should be! — and you take advantage of the tips and resources on this and other genealogy websites, it’s not going to be long before you have hundreds of individuals to track. For each person you will record some number of facts like names, nicknames and dates and places for birth, marriage, death and more. For each of these facts you’ll have one or more sources and often times you’ll want to keep additional notes of things you’ve found or tasks you need to complete.

You’ll obviously need sophisticated software to help you keep track of all this.

Desirable features in genealogy software

As you research the available software products, you will want to keep the following features in mind. While there are many claims that it is easy to migrate from any particular program to another — and there is some merit to the claims — you will be best served to spend some time deciding on the best program from the beginning. Changing programs is not a cakewalk, and learning new ways to handle large amounts of complex data is a chore.

  1. Long-term cost. There is a wide range of price tags associated with genealogy database software, from FREE to over $100 in some cases. But what is the real cost when you invest valuable time and effort into your research? Some programs, like RootsMagic, will keep you up to date with most product updates and fixes for free while some others don’t provide free updates. There also may be charges for plug-ins, or add-on components for additional features that are included in the base cost for different software. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s cheaper to purchase a bundle with the most features included, but be sure to consider possible added costs.
  2. Database organization. Every program helps keep track of virtually the same events (birth, marriage, death, etc.), but they are not all equal when it comes to keeping track of notes, sources and other reference information. It is vital to keep accurate track of source citations. To make life simpler, look for software that helps construct appropriate citations for you and stores them for use in multiple records. This will save you immense amounts of time in the long run, and you’ll spend more time on the more enjoyable parts of ancestry research. Personal Ancestral File and RootsMagic are both known for making source citations easier.
  3. Reports and charts. What good is building a family tree if you don’t have a good way to share it with posterity? You’ll also want a way to print forms that can be taken to grandma’s house so she can help fill in gaps in dates and places. Family Tree Maker and Family Tree Legends provide attractive graphical charts right out of the box. Some others lack attractive standard reports but will let you customize your own with a little effort.
  4. Research helpers. It doesn’t take long before your family tree will get large enough that you will miss opportunities to find information for certain long-lost ancestors. Most of these programs offer ways to assist with research, but sometimes it is at an added cost. Look for integrated website searches and automatic source research recommendations. These features aren’t a necessity, but can come in handy when you’re struggling to find new information.
  5. GEDCOM import/export. GEDCOM (GEnealogical Data COMmunication) is an industry standard for sharing information, and every program should support it. You should never rely heavily on GEDCOM data, but you will certainly run into times when you want to import or share large amounts of information with others. Make certain your software of choice is able to handle all GEDCOM data, including custom-defined fields. This will also protect your investment in case you decide to change programs in the future.

Popular Programs

Below is a list of some of the best genealogy programs available. Historically, it has been necessary to shell out some cash for commercial programs, but that is no longer true. There is at least one good free alternative.

Our Recommendation

If you want to start without committing any cash, we commend you! We have heard great reviews about Family Tree Legends and recommend this based on what we know. However, if you are willing to pay for the best, we recommend RootsMagic 3.

Every single one of the software packages listed above will keep track of your family members effectively. But RootsMagic 3 is a hands-down winner when it comes to comparing total features PLUS the one we consider MOST important: source information tracking. It comes with a SourceWizard that helps you build appropriate citations. You are easily able to reference the same source multiple times for different facts and different individuals, but with each citation you have substantial control to reference components within the source like page numbers or even snippets of the source text.

RootsMagic also has a demo version available so you can try it out for free before purchasing it. Note: we did have some problems testing a demo version in the past, but we have been very satisfied with the full paid version that we have been using for years on our growing database!