Gone are the times when we used to draw the family tree with pen and paper. Modern genealogy is all about tech. The family tree today is made using software and online applications. Many Family tree maker freeware and online tools are now available on the web, which let users create their family tree online. Also, you can trace if any of your ancestors are tagged in some family tree online.
You can use the free online family tree tools or download a piece of family tree software for the same. Online tools allow you to share your family tree with others or add contributors to your family tree. The downloadable software is also a bit tricky to use, especially for beginners. In this post, we will learn about some good Family Tree maker freeware and online tools.
Family Tree Maker free software & online tools
Here is a list of some tools that you can use to manage your family tree.
- WeRelate.org
- Ancestry.com
- RootsMagic Essentials freeware
- Family Tree Builder freeware
Ensure you try each of them to find out what works best for you.
1] WeRelate.org
WeRelate is one of the best-known websites to make the family tree online. It has a simple interface and is best suitable for beginners. You need to upload your GEDCOM file with all your entries, and the website integrates the information into a family tree. There are different tabs here like Overview, People, Families, Warnings, Places, Sources, Family Matches, Updates, and Imports.
The ‘People’ tab shows the list of all people added to your list, and the ‘Families’ tab shows the list of husbands and wives with their marriage date and links to the possible matching pages on WeRelate genealogy. However, users are allowed to exclude the wrongly matched pages. The ‘Warning’ tabs warn you if there are any errors in your data input. Users have to resolve the warnings to continue with the data upload. ‘Places’ tabs show the countries and cities in my data. However, it is not necessary to add the places. It is an optional feature. The website also notes if there is a matched place in the WeRelate.org database. Sources is again an optional feature that shows the information sources added in your GEDCOM file. Family Matches is an essential tab as it helps you trace your family tree in the WeRelate.org system. The system will link you to the matched family pages with matching information and details according to your data. Users can, however, look and decide if the match is actually from their family tree or not. It checks for duplicate people and merges the entries.
Please note that all the information you enter here is public, and hackers can any time hack your account and change your family tree information; however, you can revert the changes at any time.
2] Ancestry.com
This is a sharing website that provides you a forum to upload your family details and information. Being a non-collaborative website, Ancestry.com keeps your data safe and private. People seeing your family tree will get read-only access, and no one can edit your data until. It allows you to make your family tree private or public. The private family trees may appear in the search results, but the family details are not accessible to anyone. On the other hand, general family trees may provide unauthorized access to hackers.
As you enter your details, the Ancestry system starts looking for possible family matches. The website adds leaves to your family tree as a hint of potential matching discovery. The system claims to have billions of records and millions of family histories, so who know you might get a childhood picture of your grandma or great-grandma here. Users have to enter all they know, and the website will help them fining their family matches further.
Unlike WeRelate, this website has no feature of detecting duplicate people or merging identical profiles. The website allows users to make changes in the tree or delete it if required.
3] RootsMagic Essentials freeware
RootsMagic is a downloadable software that is easy to learn and use. It comes with a simple and user-friendly interface and has an unlimited capacity for holding the data. You can enter whatever you know about your family and ancestors. Unlike most common family tree-making tools, RootsMagic Essentials has a feature of tracking multiple relationships like foster parents, adoptions, and more.
The explorer of this Windows freeware lets you find your family members in the system. You can add images as well as videos to make your family tree livelier. It has a vast database and comes with customizable listing options and web hints from genealogy sites. Some of the powerful features of RootsMagic Essentials include merge techniques, Soundex calculators, and potential problems lists. It is highly compatible and can import your family tree details directly from various popular genealogy sites. It is a free genealogy program associated with the award-winning RootsMagic family tree software. It is the easiest way to trace your family tree online. RootsMagic Essentials is freeware, and you can download it from here.
4] Family Tree Builder freeware
It is a genealogy freeware for Windows by the MyHeritage family tree-making website. This is an easy tool for beginners to create a family tree and map out their ancestors. This freeware comes with innovative match technology and record matching technology that automatically discovers your ancestors’ historical records and helps users trace their family members. This tool uses a set wizard to add your family members and their details and finally comes up with a nice-looking 3D family tree. The detailed privacy features let users control every aspect of security and privacy.
It helps you create, customize, and print beautiful charts and reports, even all-in-one charts. You can always export your data from here. A paid version of Family Tree Builder also includes additional features like advanced searches and map support. You can download this tool and start creating your family tree.
What software can I use to create a printable family tree?
Like everything else, there are many family tree applications, and most of them come with an option to print the family tree. You can certainly use the WeRelate.org to get the job done. However, as said earlier, you can use any other tools, mentioned above, to create a printable family tree.
Is there a free version of Family Tree Maker?
Yes, you can use the aforementioned tools to create a family tree online for free. There is no need to spend money on any other paid tools to get the job done. In case you want to know only one name, you can opt for Canva. Canva has a free version of the family tree make that you can use to create your family tree and share with others.
Do you use any? Any observations?
