Genealogy Software for Mac

Mac compatible genealogy software

Nearly all of the software we saw reviewed is only compatible with Windows operating systems. Mac users have fewer options. Reunion 9 (*Est. $100) from Leister Productions is the leading Mac-compatible genealogy software on the market. Macworld gives it its highest rating of "five mice" because it is "beautifully designed, easy to use, and a pleasure to work with," according to reviewer Jeffery Battersby. A limited demo version is also available for download.

Many users think of Reunion as the only genealogy software available for the Mac, but Heredis Mac X.2 from the French company BSD Concept (*est. $70) has also been favorably received. In a review of the previous version, Family Tree Magazine compliments Heredis for its attractive web pages and ease of use. In a more recent report, Macworld's Jeffery Battersby says that Heredis Mac X.2 is a "well-designed and versatile genealogy program," though he rates Reunion 9 more highly.

MacFamilyTree (*Est. $50) from Germany's OnlyMac Software also gets some consideration. However, critics say that while it is a good program, the interface is not as clean as some other Mac software. If you want to try before you buy, a demo version (downloadable at http://www.onlymac.de/indexe.html) will let you do everything except save your work.