Best Genealogy Software Reviews, Family Tree Software

Best genealogy software

Full-featured and easy to use, RootsMagic tops many reviewers' charts as the best family tree software. If you're a stickler for source documentation, experts say RootsMagic can't be beat. The program also imports GEDCOM… (GEnealogical Data COMmunication) files nearly flawlessly and has thorough reports. Reviews also commend its multimedia offerings and webpage creation. Altogether, experts say RootsMagic and Legacy Family Tree are nearly equal in functionality. Your best bet is to visit each website and see which appeals to you more. A free trial of RootsMagic is available. A new version, RootsMagic 4, is currently in the preview stage. If you buy Version 3 now, you are guaranteed to get Version 4 free.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Family Tree Magazine: This genealogy magazine doesn't rank software, but provides thorough reviews of several popular programs. Both pros and cons are ...

TopTenReviews.com: This review says Roots Magic is good for beginners, with an "intuitive interface and a simple navigation."

About.com: Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist and About.com's genealogy guide. She ranks genealogy software based on "personal ...

Choice.com.au: Choice editors test 11 genealogy software programs for ease of use, performance and their range of features. RootsMagic3 rates ...

Smart Computing: Kylee Dickey has reviewed two previous versions of RootsMagic, and they remain online. This review compares RootsMagic 3 and ...

Amazon.com: About 20 user reviews give RootsMagic 3 a very high average score. One reviewer claiming to have experience as a software ...

GenSoftReviews: Nearly 400 programs are rated here by users, and they can be sorted in a number of ways. You can click on the software title to ...

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Best genealogy software (tie with RootsMagic)

Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Deluxe

*Est. $35 Compare Prices

Along with RootsMagic, Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Deluxe scores highest when it comes to ease of use and an intuitive interface. Like RootsMagic, it has book publishing and web publishing features, and it is GEDCOM… compatible. You can even choose to translate your reports into other languages. The program also has an automated mapping feature which maps your ancestors around the world using Microsoft Virtual Earth. A bonus is that the Standard edition of Legacy is free, making it a good choice if you're not yet sure you'll "stick with" family tree research. The free version is missing many multimedia and customization features, but you can upgrade to the Deluxe edition without losing any data. Video training CDs are also available.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Family Tree Magazine: This genealogy magazine doesn't rank software, but it does list pros and cons for each title. Legacy Family Tree Deluxe 7.0 is ...

TopTenReviews.com: Legacy Family Tree Deluxe 7.0 takes first place on Top Ten Reviews' comparison chart of genealogy software. The longer review ...

About.com: Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist; she ranks software based on "personal choice," putting Legacy in the third spot ...

GenSoftReviews: More than 30 contributors to GenSoftReviews.com give Legacy Family Tree Deluxe 7.0 a very high overall rating. Clicking on the ...

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Free family tree software

Personal Ancestral File 5.2

Free Download Compare Prices

Experts say you can't really go wrong with Personal Ancestral File 5.2. The price is right (a free download), and Personal Ancestral File is also a powerful tool, with a straightforward, uncluttered interface that makes… inputting lots of data easy. Reviewers say it's a good choice for novices. It has few features for book publishing or creating web pages, however, so it's best for straightforward recording and organizing. To make sophisticated charts, you'll have to spring for the PAF Companion (*est. $8.25 including shipping).

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Family Tree Magazine: Software isn't ranked by editors at Family Tree Magazine, but pros and cons for each title are listed, and a long review is ...

About.com: Professional genealogist Kimberly Powell ranks software based on her "personal choice." Personal Ancestral File gets 3.5 out of ...

Choice.com.au: Editors of this Australian consumer magazine test and rate 11 genealogy software programs and report that Personal Ancestral File ...

GenSoftReviews: Twelve users rate Personal Ancestral File, giving it a high overall score. Their comments can be viewed by clicking on the ...

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for 6.99

Best genealogy software for Mac

Reunion 9

*Est. $100 Compare Prices

Reunion is the best Mac-compatible genealogy software on the market, according to reviews. Critics say that it is easy to learn and use, but expensive. This latest version is a complete overhaul of the program, with more… than 100 new features, including the ability to transfer some of your family genealogy file to an Apple iPod.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Family Tree Magazine: Family Tree's full review of Reunion 9 is posted on their message board. Among the plusses noted is drag-and-drop between windows ...

Macworld: This single-product review is based on hands-on use. Reunion 9 has "more than 100 updates to an already excellent program," ...

Amazon.com: A handful of user reviews give Reunion 9 a high overall score. Most reviewers say that the program is user friendly and has a ...

About.com: Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist. She ranks the software based on "personal choice." She isn't a Mac user, so ...

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Best genealogy software for professionals

The Master Genealogist v7 Gold

*Est. $60 Compare Prices

Reviews say The Master Genealogist v7 is the best choice if you want to record every possible detail with the most flexibility. Although this genealogy software is a powerful tool, reviewers agree it isn't the best choice… for novices or casual researchers. The Master Genealogist has such a steep learning curve that you can now buy books and videos that tell you how to use it. There are two editions, with the more expensive Gold edition offering more publishing tools such as the ability to create an index and table of contents. One bonus is that you can import data from other genealogy software, making this a good option for those who've outgrown RootsMagic or Legacy Family Tree.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Family Tree Magazine: This genealogy magazine doesn't give software an ultimate ranking, but editors do discuss advantages and disadvantages to each ...

Family Tree Magazine: You can find Family Tree's 2002 full review of the previous version of The Master Genealogist posted on its message board. Among ...

TopTenReviews.com: In this comparison chart, the previous version of The Master Genealogist Gold ranks fifth because it's so complex. The reviewer ...

About.com: Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist who ranks software based on her personal opinion. She calls the previous version of ...

GenSoftReviews: GenSoftReviews.com lists user ratings of genealogy software. You can get to the comments by clicking on the software title. The ...

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for 44.99

Genealogy Software: Reviews