Genealogy Software Reviews

Best Genealogy Software Reviews: (out of 13)
Top Ten Reviews.com, About.com, Family Tree Magazine

Best Genealogy Software: (out of 19)
RootsMagic 3, Legacy Family Tree 6.0, Personal Ancestral File

Fast Answers - Best Genealogy Software

Top Rated	What the Research Says
• RootsMagic 3 (*est. $30) >> Where to buy	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. (compare prices)
• Legacy Family Tree 6.0 (free for the basic version, *est. $30 download for Deluxe Edition) >> Where to buy	Best genealogy software (tie with RootsMagic). Along with RootsMagic, Legacy Family Tree 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. One caveat is that charting capabilities are limited. You'll need the Charting Companion (*est. $20), if you want publication-worthy charts. A bonus is that the basic version 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 version without losing any data. Video training CDs are also available.
• Personal Ancestral File (free download) >> Where to buy	Free family tree software. Experts say you can't really go wrong with Personal Ancestral File. 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. $7).
• Reunion 9 (*est. $100) >> Where to buy	Best genealogy software for Mac. 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. (compare prices)
• The Master Genealogist (*est. $60 download for Gold Edition) >> Where to buy	Best genealogy software for professionals. Reviews say The Master Genealogist is the best choice if you want to record every possible detail with the most flexibility. Although this genealogy software is a powerful tool, reviews 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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What the experts say, our analysis, and more...

Updated September 2007

At present, TopTenReviews.com has the most reviews of genealogy software, though some reviews are of outdated versions. The discussion is not particularly detailed, but is appropriately critical and does a good job of summing up pluses and minuses. About.com's latest software roundup dates from March 2006, but most of the covered titles are still current and site guide Kimberly Powell does a good job of covering newer titles in single-product reviews. Family Tree Magazine's 2005 Guidebook is now dated, but it remains one of the most detailed and credible genealogy software reviews we could find. We also found Smart Computing's comparison of RootsMagic and Personal Historian to be useful, but this magazine doesn't cover as many genealogy software programs as reviewers we rank more highly. Macworld does not do comparative reviews, but has done a number of recent single-product reports, so it is a good resource for Mac users. Consumer Reports does not cover genealogy software at all.

In 2004, Family Tree Maker genealogy software was acquired by MyFamily (now known as The Generations Network), the same company that maintains Ancestry.com. While past versions of Family Tree Maker genealogy software didn't receive great reviews, the previous two versions had improved significantly. That streak appears to have ended, however, with Family Tree Maker 2008 (*est. $40).

According to About.com's Kimberly Powell, Family Tree Maker 2008 is totally new rather than merely tweaked. However, the package seems to have missed the boat in some areas. In previous versions, Family Tree Maker excelled in its publishing features, but Powell writes that the "new version appears to be a bit lacking in this department, with some popular charts/reports not yet available, and options such as book publishing relying on Internet integration."

With the current version of Family Tree Maker, you can't upload pages to your own website -- you're limited to publishing pages on Family Tree Maker's website. In testing, some file imports were muddled, mixing up some names and data, or failing to import altogether. User reviews at About.com and Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter have been mixed to low.

On the plus side, The Generations Network has recognized user complaints, and Powell reports that improvements are both here and on the way. The company has reached out to users via e-mail to let them know that a Service Pack 1 update that's now available has addressed some performance problems. In addition, a Service Pack 2 is due later this year to upgrade the software's publishing capabilities to reintroduce popular reports from earlier versions. Book publishing will continue to rely on integration with the company's Ancestry Press online tool. Whether these fixes will be enough to satisfy dissatisfied users remains an open question for now. ... Continued

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Consensus Report

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with retailer links)	Details from Amazon.com
5	Legacy Family Tree (*est. $30)	details
4	RootsMagic (*est. $30)	details
3	Reunion 9 (*est. $100)	details
3	Heredis Mac X.2 (*est. $70)	-
3	The Master Genealogist (*est. $60 download, $80 box-Gold version)	details
2	Family Tree Legends (free)	-
2	Ancestral Quest (*est. $30)	-
1 each	MacFamilyTree, Genbox Family History, GEDitCOM, Personal Historian , Personal Ancestral File, Family Tree Maker 2008

A number of genealogy software programs are highly rated, and most reviews say each one has a slightly different specialty. RootsMagic and Legacy Family Tree are easiest to use. The basic version of Legacy Family Tree is a free download. Although The Master Genealogist is excellent -- and the best choice for professionals or experienced enthusiasts -- it has a steep learning curve for beginners. Personal Ancestral File hasn't had an upgrade in some time, but reviews still say it's very user-friendly and affordable (free). Reunion 9 is the best choice for Mac users, even though it's expensive.

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