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8 Websites To Build Your Free Family Tree
FamilySearch
(Free to use website for family tree research)
FamilySearch allows people to share their research and collaborate with others while still protecting privacy. This is different from other sites because the information that can be found on FamilySearch is primarily genealogical data rather than personal identifying or sensitive material.
The website is completely free to use and it is run by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints. Despite its religious affiliation, one does not need to be a member of the Church to use the free family tree search function.
The site also offers options like record management so one can organize all of their family history resources in one place instead of having them scattered across multiple programs or accounts.
FamilySearch Features
The site is primarily comprised of genealogical data, so it doesn’t include social media features like its other competitors, which one can use to connect with family members and other users. Thus, the website is best used for free ancestry research.
This isn’t necessarily bad because having that much information available in one place could be overwhelming for some, especially when they’re just beginning their search.
It also helps protect privacy while still offering options for sharing one’s work if desired since this site has been around longer than most of the newer ones on this list. FamilySearch was founded way back in 1894.
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Ancestry.com
(14-day free trial available, paid plans start from $24.99 per month)
Ancestry.com is a genealogy website where users can search for their ancestors, build family trees, and find records from the past, such as census data or military records.
Users can upload DNA test results from companies like AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and more, which they can use to find new relatives that aren’t in their tree already.
This makes it easier to fill out gaps in a person’s family history because if someone has tested with one of these sites, then anyone else who has done so too will be found through matching people together based on their common ancestors.
For example, one might have an aunt that one had never met before, but she could easily be identified by finding her parents’ information and seeing they had a known child. Then, one could find the person’s contact information and go from there.
Ancestry.com Features
Unlike most of the other tools on this list, Ancestry.com allows people to upload DNA test results and other genealogy research alongside their family tree, making it easier for them to fill out any gaps in their history or create a complete picture of where they came from.
They also offer image sources such as books and newspapers going back many years too giving you the chance to see how things have changed over time.
Ancestry.com Pricing
| Payment Plan | U.S Discovery | World Explorer | All Access |
| What’s Included | – Grow family tree with exclusive search tools
– Connect family members – Access to 15+billion US records |
– Everything in U.S. Discovery, plus:
– Expanded search with additional 3+ billion worldwide records |
– Everything in World Explorer, plus:
-Access to 142+million stories from pages in Newspapers.com (Basic) – 537+million military records on Fold3.com – Premium support with dedicated 1-800 number |
| Price | $24.99 per month | $39.99 per month | $49.99 per month |
Find My Past
(Basic features are free to use, subscription plans start from $10.75 per month for access to additional features)
Find My Past is a genealogy website that allows people to search through millions of records and create their family tree. The website enables users to view records with over two million images from England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales.
The company caters mainly to people in the United Kingdom or who want to find their relatives from the United Kingdom. Find My Past uses its extensive collection of historical records dating back 400 years ago to help customers find their ancestors faster than ever before.
The platform also has many ways for users to connect with other individuals searching simultaneously, including message boards where people can ask questions about specific names or dates they’re trying to track down. This makes it easy for anyone who may have information about these people to answer questions and help out.
The site is different from other genealogy websites because of the extensive collection that includes records and images, making it easier for customers to learn all there is about their ancestors.
Find My Past Pricing
The site’s basic features are free to use. However, to unlock more advanced features, users will need to subscribe to a membership on the website.
| Plan | Essential | Ultimate |
| Features | – UK, US, and Ireland Census Records
– UK, US, and Ireland birth, marriage, and death records – Migration records from the UK and Ireland – UK and Ireland parish records – Get common ancestors from other trees – Contact people with common ancestors |
– Everything in Essential, plus:
– Access to exclusive guides and masterclasses – British and Irish newspapers British military records – UK and Ireland institutional records – Wills and probate records |
| Pricing | $10.75 per month when billed annually | $14.92 per month when billed annually |
MyHeritage
($79 for initial ancestry test, subscriptions from $79 per year)
MyHeritage is a popular family tree website. You can use the website to create and keep track of your family tree for free.
The platform offers a wide range of features, such as:
- Create your family tree and share it with others.
- Search billions of records to discover what you can about the people in your life, their stories, and their memories.
- Find new relatives among our world’s largest collection of DNA samples through genetic genealogy tests.
Overall, these features make MyHeritage one of the best free genealogy websites to do research and to discover more about your personal family history and lineage.
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FindAGrave
(Free service for browsing cemetery records)
FindAGrave is an online genealogy website that includes records, photos, and information about the grave of any individual. It offers a free website for personal homepages, which can be used to collect family memories.
It has different features than other websites in this list because it allows you to create a memorialized homepage for your loved ones who are no longer with us. The website focuses on providing users with access to cemetery records, making it ideal for building a free family tree of deceased relatives.
This way, people won’t forget them after they’ve passed away but will still remember their legacy by reading these stories or viewing pictures of the memories you have collected on FindAGrave.
OneGreatFamily
(Free 7-day trial, monthly subscription starting from $14.95 per month)
OneGreatFamily is a family tree building site. The platform offers many useful social media tools and widgets that users can use to share their family trees and connect with other people in their family tree.
It’s free to get started, but if one wants to add more than one person to a tree, they will need to subscribe to a paid plan. The platform offers a 7-day free trial for new users to try out the software and see if it meets their needs.
For users who wish to subscribe to an all-access plan with OneGreatFamily, the platform offers three different billing cycles:
- Monthly subscription at $14.95 per month
- Quarterly subscription at $29.95 for 3 months
- Annual subscription at $79.97 for 12 months
GenesReunited
(Free version offers limited features, paid subscription from £15 per month)
GenesReunited is a website that allows people to find their relatives after many years of separation. To search for your family members, you need only sign up and input the information about yourself, which will then be available to other users who can view it if they are related to you in some way.
Users can choose to use the service for free or sign up for a paid subscription. Users on the free version will not have access to all search options. However, there is still plenty enough room to do some basic family tree research.
On the other hand, the paid version (costs £15 per month) offers users access to a complete set of features, including advanced searching capabilities, profile enhancements, and much more.
LegacyTree
(Free to use but features are more limited as the platform is still in beta)
LegacyTree is genealogy software that helps you organize, analyze and share your family history. In addition, it can be used to create charts, reports, and more. The platform is currently offering its services for free with limited features while they are in the beta phase.
Despite being a relatively newer platform for building a free family tree compared to some of the other platforms on this list, LegacyTree does not disappoint when it comes to the features that it offers. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of genealogy research features, such as:
- Free services
- Not as many features as some other programs may have but still a great simple tool to use
- Anyone interested in genealogy can try it out because it’s free
- Different than most other ones in that the platform is still a very early beta and will be releasing updates/features over time
How To Build A Free Family Tree?
There are many tools that you can use to build a free family tree. The basic step that you should start with is to chart out your immediate family members. From there, you can do research using the different software in this list to find out more about family members who you may not have known about.
Tips for Building a Free Family Tree
- The first step is to find your ancestor’s name on the family tree
- Make sure you have a pen and paper ready, as research can be time-consuming
- You may also want to ask older relatives for help as they might know more than you think
- Start with your parents and grandparents
- Make sure that all information is accurate
- Include photos, videos, audio recordings, or other supporting documents to complete the family tree
You can use free online sites like FamilySearch if you are looking for an accurate representation of your family history. There are also many apps available now which help individuals create their own digital genealogy record book.
