Family history research doesn’t have to be expensive some resources and products are available to you for free. In this post, I will show you the best free genealogy software downloads.
Please check them out so that you can start to trace your ancestry today!
Before checking the free software!
Free is good but there are drawbacks though when it comes to such a genealogy software program. Therefore you will need to make up your mind which program is right for you based on these considerations.
- The operating system that the program will be on, either Windows or Mac.
- Limitations of the free programs, except for Gramps.
- Tools and features that are included in the program.
These free versions are designed more as a taster as to what you can expect from the full version.
By trying out the following programs you can get a feel of the layout and interface. And as well as the tools and features that you can expect from the upgraded version.
With that said, read on and you will see what is the best free genealogy software for you to download today!
Discussed In This Post:
- Ancestral Quest Basics
- Family Tree Builder
- Gramps
- Legacy Family Tree Standard Edition
- Personal Ancestry Writer II
- RootsMagic Essentials
Express Your Thoughts Below!
I would love to hear from you.
Ancestral Quest Basics
What I like about this program, (and what I find surprising), is that it connects to two genealogical websites – RootsWeb and Ancestry.
This means is that while you are working on your family tree in the background there are searched being conducted on these two sites.
These background searches check to see if there are any matches to what you have entered.
Ancestral Quest Basics Rating and Details | |
|---|---|
| Rating |  (3/5) |
| Operating System | Windows and Macintosh |
| Download | Ancestral Quest Basic |
| Full Version Review | Ancestral Quest 15 |
Free Version Review!
You can add media to your family tree such as photos which is good. But adding them to reports can become cumbersome as you cannot add them where you would like them to be.
The free version cannot, unfortunately, create ancestor or descendant type charts, relationship, or timeline reports.
Which is a big disappointment for me.
The program is also limited to the fact that it cannot handle international character sets.
So, if your ancestor is from a foreign land then displaying information in their language in your tree will be impossible.
As this is a free version of Ancestral Quest 15 then you will get the obvious nag screen when you first start up this program.
If you do not mind that then this program can certainly work for you.
Pros and Cons
✔ Simple and easy design
✔ Intuitive interface
✔ Automatically searches genealogical sites
❌ Nag screen with startup
❌ Limited charts and reports
❌ No ancestor/descendant type charts or reports
❌ No Unicode support
Family Tree Builder
This free program is brought to you by the extremely popular genealogy company MyHeritage where you can find billions of genealogical records containing your ancestors.
They even provide DNA testing kits through MyHeritage DNA where you can find out even more about your ancestry and possibly connect to living relatives as well.
Family Tree Builder Rating and Details | |
|---|---|
| Rating |  (4/5) |
| Operating System | Windows and Macintosh |
| Download | Family Tree Builder |
| Full Version Review | Family Tree Builder Full |
Free Version Review!
You are not limited to the amount of information that you enter for your ancestors.
So, you can add as many facts, notes, sources, and multimedia such as photos, sound, and video clips as you like.
The same goes for the number of people that you add to your tree. Yep, it’s unlimited!
You get a 3 person generation view of your family. So, there is no individual, pedigree, or descendant view with this version of the program.
There are plenty of reports and charts for you to choose from with this free version. And you can create and print out maps detailing where your ancestors originated from and migrated to.
One of the great advantages of this program, (similar to the others that I have reviewed here), is that you can import your family tree from elsewhere. This is done by loading into the program a GEDCOM file.
Connect with records and others!
The remarkable advantage though is because this program is connected to the MyHeritage then you can match your tree to other members’ trees on the website.
This gives you the ability to discover even more information about your ancestors.
Now, because this program is brought to you by MyHeritage you can discover genealogical records featuring your ancestors.
Although you may find more information for your research you will need to subscribe to the website to fully access these records.
But still, it’s a great avenue of research for you.
The downsides!
Even though this program is very powerful there are a few drawbacks to it.
The first is that you are not able to merge information from an existing tree into your tree that you have built with this program.
Also, you will be presented with a nagging screen when something is unavailable to you. This isn’t a disadvantage with the program but I thought that I would list it all the same.
Pros and Cons
✔ Unlimited information
✔ Many reports and charts
✔ Create and print maps
✔ Import and export GEDCOM files
✔ Match your tree to others
✔ Synchronize your tree to MyHeritage
❌ No merge tools
❌ Nag screens
Gramps
The reason that I give this a maximum of 5 stars is because this genealogy program gives you everything that you need.
There is no such premium version of the program, although if you wish to show your support you can donate.
You are probably wondering about the name of this genealogy software program. Gramps is short for Genealogical Research and Analysis Management Program Systems and is not short for Grampa, lol.
Gramps Rating and Details | |
|---|---|
| Rating |  (5/5) |
| Operating System | Windows, Macintosh, and Linux |
| Download | Gramps |
Free Version Review!
What’s great about this program is that not only can you use it on either your Windows or Macintosh machine, but also Linux as well.
Now, I know that most of you use either of the first two, but at least you do have the choice of Linux if that is your preferred operating system.
However, installation on a Windows or Macintosh machine may be a bit tricky for you if you do not know your way around your computer. For Linux users on the other hand this is not the case.
The basic interface, but plenty of features!
The interface is very basic. But that’s a good thing as you can easily understand the layout of the program and how to navigate around it and use the tools that are available to you.
There are plenty of reports and charts for you to choose from, where you can make them as brief or as detailed as you want.
And if you want to keep certain people private in your tree then you can.
Other features include support for various calendars including Gregorian, Julian, Hebrew, French Republican, Persian and Islamic calendars.
Whether your ancestors came from foreign countries is no problem as there is Unicode support. This means that the software can handle international character sets.
There is also a community of users that help to suggest improvements to the software.
This is great because you get a program that will have more and more capabilities without even having to pay anything, (unless you want to donate of course).
Pros and Cons
✔ Truly cross-platform program
✔ Simple interface
✔ Continual updates
✔ Privacy option
✔ Various calendars supported
✔ Unicode support
❌ Not easy to install on Windows/Macintosh
Legacy Family Tree Standard Edition
If you have checked out my Best Genealogy Software Programs post then you will have seen that I highly recommend Legacy Family Tree.
So, it is good to see that there is a free version of this program.
Therefore, if you are not prepared to part with your cash just yet then try the free version before you commit to the full version.
Upgrading to the paid version is simple to do and will allow you to copy your family tree over.
Legacy Family Tree Standard Edition Rating and Details | |
|---|---|
| Rating | (3/5) |
| Operating System | Windows |
| Download | Legacy Family Tree Standard Edition |
| Full Version Review | Legacy 9 |
Free Version Review!
Before I continue I just want to mention that you can import your GEDCOM file from other software.
So, if you have created your family tree from elsewhere then there is no need to worry.
Also, you can export/create GEDCOM files with this program as well.
The reason why I recommend this software and why it is extremely popular among genealogists is because of the simplistic design, the powerfulness of the program, and that it has all the features that anyone could need.
Different views and plenty of media!
The familiar family, pedigree, descendant, and index views are available for you to enter and edit your family tree from. There are also other kinds of views supported.
Multimedia support is not limited as you can add photographs, sound and video clips, maps, and more besides.
As this is a free version of the software you will be greeted with a nagging message when you select a tool or feature that is not available to you.
This isn’t a disadvantage but still, I thought that I would tell you about it.
It would still have been better if these tools and features were just simply greyed out instead.
Pros and Cons
✔ Simple and easy design
✔ Powerful software
✔ Contains most features
✔ Unlimited data and people
✔ Import GEDCOM files
❌ No Unicode support
❌ Only available for Windows
❌ Nagging message
Personal Ancestry Writer II
If you are a Macintosh user then you may find that this free download is for you. Although it isn’t a high-performing program.
It still though may do the job for you. So, you shouldn’t underestimate it!
Personal Ancestry Writer II Rating and Details | |
|---|---|
| Rating | (3/5) |
| Operating System | Macintosh |
| Download | Personal Ancestry Writer II |
Free Version Review!
Personal Ancestry Writer, or PAWriter for short, has a very simple design, which will make your life easier to use the program.
Because there are no distractions with this program you will see what tools are available to you. And on top of that, you can see what you are and are not able to do.
Pros and Cons
✔ Simple design
✔ Easy to navigate
✔ Good starting program
❌ Limited tools
RootsMagic Essentials
For the beginner, this is a great free genealogy software program to get you started. Navigating around the interface is pretty easy as the menus, buttons and general appearance is easy to understand.
Even though it is easy for you to navigate around the program well this version does suffer from a nagging screen. These screens appear when you first start up the program and whenever you select tools.
Tools that aren’t available in the free version are simply greyed out.
RootsMagic Essentials Rating and Details | |
|---|---|
| Rating | (3/5) |
| Operating System | Windows and Macintosh |
| Download | RootsMagic Essentials |
| Full Version Review | RootsMagic 7 |
Free Version Review!
With the free version, you have a choice of either pedigree or family view, where you can easily edit information for your ancestors.
The great benefit that I like about this version is that it supports unlimited data. So, you can add as many facts, multimedia, notes, and sources.
And you can easily find whichever ancestor that you are looking for within your family tree using the RootsMagic Explorer tool. The built-in templates also make citation easy for you to do as you just fill in the blanks.
Easily see relationships!
Something that I like with a program such as this is the ability to see how exactly that you are related to your ancestor.
And Essentials allows you to do this. It even can show you relationships such as adoptions and foster parents.
I mentioned that you can add multimedia. This includes photographs, sound clips, and video as well. And what also is good is that you can add photographs to your printed reports to make them even more appealing.
Within the free version of the program, you get to choose between dozens of charts, reports, and lists. So, you shouldn’t be too restricted.
Although it doesn’t allow you to hide individuals from reports. Which means you cannot keep people private.
Power tool included too!
Power tools are also included which can help you identify any problems with your tree. Date and Soundex calculators are also included as well as sophisticated merge techniques.
If your ancestry is quite varied then you probably need the ability to handle international character sets. Well, I am pleased to say that Essentials does support Unicode.
If you have already created your family tree then there is no need to worry. Essentials will allow you to import directly from Family Tree Maker, Legacy, PAF, The Master Genealogist, and Family Origins.
And if your program isn’t shown that’s OK as you can always import your tree from a GEDCOM file.
Pros and Cons
✔ Clear and understandable interface
✔ Easy navigation and editing ability
✔ Supports unlimited people and facts
✔ See relationships
✔ Dozens of charts, reports, and lists
✔ Unicode support
✔ Import your tree from other genealogy programs or a GEDCOM file
❌ Nagging screen
❌ No hiding option available in reports
Thank You and Please Leave A Comment
I hope you enjoyed this post showing you the best free genealogy software downloads. If you have any questions or comments then please leave a comment below.
Please share with family and friends if you think this post will help others by using the social media buttons below.
Looking for a family tree software that will let me have several different trees. I research different trees for myself, my boyfriend and other friends. So I need to be able to have all this on 1 database but separate trees.
Hi Theresa,
You can use any software program to create a separate tree for each separate file. That is what I do with my genealogy research.
Hope this helps.
I downloaded GRAMPS and uploaded my GEDCOM. Everything went smoothly, but when I tried loading media it would bring it up but would not load into the gallery. I have spent days researching the problem with no solution. If you have one I would love to hear it. Thanks for this site.
Hi Patti,
Would the following solution help:
https://genealogy.stackexchange.com/questions/13234/using-absolute-vs-relative-paths-for-gramps-media
If not then I will look into it further. Please let me know.
Kind regards,
Owain
Thanks Owain, That was one of the articles I read in my search and I chose to use the relative path and made sure it was correct, but still it would not load into the gallery. My program worked a little differently from the video on youtube, but was still able to view the picture I wanted to load, but still it didn’t load. Is it possible my program was corrupted when it tried to load pictures from Ancestry? Can’t think of anything else. Sincerely, Patti Brown
Hi Patti,
Thought you may have had a look at that link but thought I would send it just in case.
Seems it could be a corrupted file. I’m just glad that your tree has loaded ok. I don’t suppose you have any media on your computer, or was it all on Ancestry?
Are you able to export your tree and media again from Ancestry? If the problem persists maybe you can contact Ancestry for help. Worth a shot anyway.
one day I had some research all disappeared
That’s terrible Eugene. What service was it?
If you update your article soon, please consider Ancestris : https://www.ancestris.org/
It’s not a limited version of an other software like Rootsmagic, Legacy, Ancestral quest or Family Tree Builder (some features are enabled only if you have a paid account on MyµHeritage).
Ancestris can be used on the common three OS : Windows, MacOS and Linux.
I think you can find with this software most of the features you can expect from this type of software.
You can also give a look to theses free softwares :
Geneweb : https://geneweb.tuxfamily.org/wiki/download
My Family Tree : https://chronoplexsoftware.com/myfamilytree/
Thanks for the information Zurga. Will check it out for sure.
Thank you for the recommendation about Ancestris. Used your link and have just downloaded the program.
Big download compared to most others – 136 MB.
Looking forward to using it.
Have about 500 family members on Ancestry Account and need to present and share them in a differebt way.
Thanks again and also thanks to Owain
SDC
That’s great to hear Stephen.
All the best,
Owain
Are there any free programs for Apple iPad or iPhone?
I would like to import a file from my Family Tree Maker 11 to my iPad or iPhone.
Thanks for your help.
Hi Peggy,
Thank you for your query. I have come across this Best 10 Family History & Research Apps.
Any tree builder should be free, but obviously connecting with records on a genealogy site will cost.
Hope this helps.
Hi Owain,
I have a large family tree with over 5000 people, each one of them backed by pictures of original records (birth, death, marriage, census, photos, etc.) About 80% are from outside the US. I’ve had a bad experience with a major web platform, and I want to migrate my files to a desktop-based software that lets me store my own data and will not nag me to upload it to a partner website (or do it without my consent). The software needs to be powerful, support foreign characters (e.g., ñ, ç, é), and merge duplicates, on top of the other usual functionalities. I have several thousand additional records to process, so large capacity is a must. Free is best but I am willing to pay what it takes to avoid upselling, ads, etc. Access to proprietary databases (e.g., Ancestry) is unimportant since I know where to look for relevant records. Any advice? Thank you.
Hi Bernard, thanks for your query. It appears that GenoPro is the genealogy software for you.
Please let me know how you get on.
All the best.
Hi Owain. Thanks for a very helpful article. My question is, why did you not include GenoPro in your list – given that you’ve recommended it for the person who posted above?
Thanks again!
Hi Colin,
Thanks for your query. Simple reason is I hadn’t come across it when I was researching for this article. I could add it as a bonus review.
It discuss about the 6 best free genealogy software for download.This article provides us true and insightful information regarding it. This article is very helpful. I am sure many people will come to read about it in future.
So glad you liked this post.
Hi probably a lot of people researching their family tree during this lockdown. By far and away the best piece of software I have found for collating and displaying your family tree is ZoomPast. It is a purely visual representation of your family tree. You can zoom into any part of it and edit any part that is zoomed into. It is particularly easy to enter information and image of the particular person. It can be shared with other family members anywhere in the world and they can add their own part of the tree to the overall one. It can also be exported to a gedcom file for backup. ZoomPast – just google it
Thanks for sharing that John. Sounds great. I will have to check it out.
Hello Owain,
I am at a crossroads and I am not sure what to do. I have been paying a particular web site for years to store my genealogy research, and I am at a point where I can no longer afford to pay for this indefinitely. I have downloaded my Gedcom file and I know want to import it into new software and store on my Mac. I am happy to purchase software however the problem for me as I see it (and maybe I am wrong) is that these software companies still want you to subscribe on a annual basis, and this is what I am trying to avoid. My tree has some 1500 people so its quite large, and I wish to preserve the data for my grandchildren’s future interest .
Hi Roger,
Thank you for your query and firstly I want to put your mind at ease. There’s no annual subscription to use a genealogy software program. There maybe software fixes no and again for a particular version of a program but these will be free.
There are updated versions every so often that you would have to pay for, but it is up to you if you want to go up to the next version. Generally though these updated versions can be purchased at a reduced price for someone who has already got the previous version of the program.
But like I said it is up to you if you want to do that. I am still using the same program that I first used, Family Tree Maker 2012. I did try FTM 2014 but I didn’t like how the trees were presented in the near version so I stuck with FTM 2012.
The Genealogy search websites are what require an annual subscription so if you do get hints from the programs then you will have to pay to access that information.
If you do want to access records then you could do what I do and visit your local library. They should have free access to genealogy sites such as Ancestry and Find My Past.
Alternatively you could go to the Family Search site. I have visited this site from time to time. It is a bit hit and miss but it is free, (you do need to register though).
Anyway, please check out my Best Genealogy Software Programs Guide.
Let me know what you decide, and all the best on your genealogy journey.
Kind regards,
Owain
You have a great blog! Here I found a lot of useful information. Some of the suggested genealogy software downloads I have already used. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, and I’m glad that you have found this post helpful. Please share with anyone you think would benefit from it.
One area you haven’t covered is merging other people gedcom into your family tree, I use Legacy.
Thanks for the feedback Michael. Much appreciated.
What about Family Tree Maker and Ancestry.com? You don’t even mention them and I see ads all over the place for them.
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for the query. In this post I have concentrated on software that is free to download and use where you can create and build a family tree. I have reviewed Family Tree Maker within the Genealogy Software section of this site, and Ancestry.com within the Genealogy Search Websites section.
Hello Owain,
You said on February 16, 2018 that you have never tried a “free” version. Did you mean up until the time when you wrote the review? Or that you you still hadn’t tried a “free” version and that your reviews of the free software are based on what you found to be true of the software from what they have to offer?
Hi James, I still haven’t tried any free versions. They are though good to see what they have to offer, even though they have limited features.
When I started tracing my family tree I liked what I saw with Family Tree Maker and decided to buy it. Best money I ever spent.
Hi Owen,
Yesterday I downloaded the free My Heritage Family Tree Builder. I had not worked on the hobby for years. When I went to import my GED file it got to about 20% and then I received a message saying that was the limit for free LOL. Also, for the people that it did an import if you click on “see the record” it wants either CDN$19.22/month or $8.25 for a lower version. So I guess the free version isn’t all that free after all, just a teaser that I will now delete. Like they say, you get what you pay for and this one is another scam.
Great article though
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thanks for your feedback on this builder. Yep, with free there are limitations, and like you say they are a teaser. Luckily for you that you haven’t wasted any money, only time.
Extremely helpful reviews. Many thanks.
Thank you Peter for the compliment. There are several software programs that you can get for free but these are definitely the 6 best that you will find.
I wish you all the best with your family history research.
Hey Owain,
This post was an eye opener. I have always wanted to trace my genealogy especially from my father’s side. I tend to gravitate to Gramps because it’s quite versatile and provides a number of features. I have bookmarked your site because I would like to act asap.
There is a lot of information on this post and thanks indeed for not holding back.
Best regards.
Glad this post was helpful Benito. It seems that most people are drawn towards the Gramps software. I can see why because of what it offers as well as the support behind it. And with this support there is plenty of improvements in the pipeline. So it is an exciting software to download for free.
Very nice review. As a Black person living in America, I have my doubts about finding any true success in such a venture. However, You had me with the gramps software product. I will keep an open mind but by knowing the treatment and the effort to deny me of my culture on a continuous basis is a hurdle that I am anxious to see if Gramps can overcome.
Hi Maurice, thank you for your compliment.
Gramps is a great program to get you started into the world of genealogy. It is essentially a way for you to store all that you have discovered about your family history.
If you want to discover more about your ancestors then you can always try Ancestry or FindMyPast. These two are my favourite genealogy search sites that you can visit. I have found out so much about my ancestors from these two sites.
All the best.
Hey Owain,, thanks for your selection of free genealogy software. I tried tracing my family tree back around the year 2000 but came across too many software issues. They were continually updating, adding new add ons and like you mention, it becomes very expensive, the reasons I gave up to be honest.
I like the sound of Gramps, especially when you give the software 5 stars, I’m fairly savvy on the computer so I’m sure I’ll overcome the first hurdle of installing. I think most of us require an easy user interface to aid our genealogy process meanwhile because you mention Gramps has unicode support for foreign countries, I think that will be beneficial as I roll back through our ancestral tree.
Thanks again for your help,
Simon.
Glad to be of help Simon. Gramps does seem to be the best so I’m glad that you’ll be going with this.
What with community support there are improvements added all the time. And being free that’s even better. Although you may want to donate to the program if you feel like it.
love your site and content. This a fresh and I have bookmarked your site so that I can come back for more info in the near future to help me source my Grandads past.
Excellent work.
You’re welcome Colin. I have covered many areas of genealogy on this site so you are welcome to have a look around. There are plenty of guides and tips, as well as reviews on products and services that will help you to research your ancestry.
All the best.
Hello Owain!
Thank you for the in-depth detailed reviews of the genealogy software! You made it really easy to see which ones would be great to try out. I have tried a few different ones here and there through out the years but kind of got away from it due to the constant upselling, nagging and limited functions of most of them.
I am very tempted to try out the Gramps, yes I admit, I thought it stood for Grandpa, lol. The main reason is because its totally free. One question I had though is there any way to generate a GEDCOM file with it?
I appreciate the time you spent creating this and for the great information!
Thank you!
To be honest I have never tried a free version. I am passionate about my family history and so I wanted to get a program that had all the features.
But as I said in the post free is good as it can give beginners a feel for what to expect with such a program and genealogy as a hobby. But if you want to do more with your research then a paid program is the way to go. In my opinion.
You can create a GEDCOM file with these programs 🙂
I have a cousin that is super into researching our family tree and this would just blow him away.
I didn’t even realize that you could get this kind of software for free. There a few to choose from. I’ll have to follow the links that you have provided and check them out.
Great write up!
You’re most welcome Eric. Please share this post with him and anyone else you know who you know would benefit from it.