Is There Any Advantage to using Family Tree Software?
It is possible to research your Family Tree without any software but it would take you ten times longer and could be quite difficult to say the least.
Finding the right Family Tree software and getting the most out of it really is the first step towards recording your family history for future generations.
Having done genealogy for over forty years starting with a pen and paper, a typewriter and paper files since before the days of computers, I’ve learnt a lot about recording and protecting your records for posterity. These days all my records are digitized and stored electronically, and as the family tree has grown it’s only possible to keep tabs on your research and family tree with a proper family tree database.
In the video below, and from my own experience, these are the best and most popular programs I would recommend for you to use, with tips on making the most of the software and protecting your work for the next generation.
JJ Lin was assigned by his family to create a family tree, but where does he begin and what tools do we recommend?
Veronica’s favorite free tool is Geni.com but Ancestry is another free online tool for tracing your ancestral history, both have more advanced features in the paid upgrade versions. While for a Mac there is Reunion, a desktop software you can use offline as well as Mac Family Tree which is similar but not free. And Family Tree Maker, also made by Ancestry.com works on both Mac and PC.
There is also open-source software out there online, such as Gramps, which works for both Mac and PC and on Linux, which is free. So there is a ton of different options out there to choose from. Whether you use the Free-plan on Geni.com or go for a paid software that has ancestry-finding capabilities and tools, it all depends on what’s best for you.
One thing that is clear though is that you can save a great deal of time by using these softwares and services as there is now so much information stored online. You don’t have to go searching around County Court records or rummaging through copies of old birth certificates and death certificates, etc, which is what people used to have to do to find anything. For example almost all of the recorded Census’s can now be searched for and found online. And there are some amazng tools and software available for tracing your ancestoral history and building a complete picture of your family tree.
Stacey.
Me and My Family Tree
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