Your hard-earned research won’t do much good squirreled away in a notebook or buried on your computer desktop. These 10 resources will allow you to share your findings with relatives and help them live beyond you.
The websites below are free unless otherwise noted by a dollar sign ($).
1. Ancestry.com Member Trees $
Join the genealogy research movement by starting a member tree on Ancestry.com. With features that can help connect long-lost family together, billions of genealogy records and a huge user network, it’s no wonder that Ancestry.com is one of the most popular websites for storing and sharing genealogy information and research. You’ll need a paid subscription to get the most from Ancestry.com’s trees, though building profiles and uploading photos and records are both free features.
2. Facebook
No, this wildly popular social-networking site isn’t just for people with way too much time on their hands—not anymore. Genealogy groups and different pages like Ancestry.com turn your Facebook page into a powerful tool for exchanging family tree information. It’s an ideal place to network with like-minded genealogists (and become a fan of Family Tree Magazine). Find a list of accounts to follow here.
3. FamilySearch
As you enter information into the Family Tree, lines that have been researched by others instantly connect. The Family Tree gathers everything in one spot and creates one profile for everyone, as opposed to participants each having their own trees individually. The goal, according to FamilySearch, is to reduce research duplication.
4. Flickr $
Here’s another site not specifically for genealogy that clever family historians are using—in this case, to post photos of ancestors, gravestones and more. See, for example, the Kansas Civil War veterans graves. The Smithsonian and Library of Congress have collections on Flickr, too. Upgrade to a Pro subscription for unlimited photo uploads.
5. Geni $
A standout among family tree sharing sites with 182 million profiles, Geni offers another free-to-start platform for sharing ancestral information. A Pro subscription allows you to view matching profiles and add your information to the site’s massive, single family tree. The site was acquired by MyHeritage in 2012, and you can read tips for using the site here.
6. MyHeritage $
MyHeritage hosts more than 90 million family sites, where users cultivate family trees. It also offers the free Family Tree Builder software, plus photo-editing tools that will wow your relatives. Building a tree of less than 250 people is free, but you’ll need a subscription to build larger trees and tap into the site’s record collections.
7. Pinterest
Pinterest is a photo uploading and sharing website usually used for fashion or recipes. But smart genealogists are using it to make free family trees and to organize their genealogy research. Upload photos of your family (boards can be made private), or use Pinterest to keep different family recipes and research material in easy, separate boards. Learn more about Pinterest’s utility for genealogists.
8. TribalPages $
One of the first sites to make the leap from plain pedigree files to online family trees, TribalPages has grown to more than 350,000 family sites with 250 million names. Upgrade to a paid subscription to upload more than 50 photos and take advantage of more-advanced features and reports.
9. WikiTree
Combining genealogy research with DNA, WikiTree allows you to participate in a global family tree. Add your own family to the 37 million profiles already edited by over 1 million genealogists. The WikiTree Honor Code holds users to creating a safe and easy-to-use website for all. Watch Family Tree‘s tutorial.
10. WeRelate
“Part encyclopedia, part social network,” this free wiki is sponsored by the Foundation for On-Line Genealogy in partnership with the Allen County (Ind.) Public Library. In addition to pages for more than 3 million people and families, WeRelate allows you to serach nearly 1 million sources, including microfilms and websites.
An early version of this article appeared in the September 2009 issue of Family Tree Magazine as part of that year’s list of the 101 Best Genealogy Websites by David A. Fryxell. Last updated, September 2023.
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