Nick Peers reveals how our reader panel rated the leading paid-for genealogical websites
The internet has both revolutionised and democratised family history, putting all of the tools you need to research, edit and share your family tree at your fingertips. These days, it’s almost impossible to trawl the web in search of sources, documents, photographs and far-flung relations without coming into contact with at least one of the ‘Big Four’ paid-for genealogical websites: Ancestry (ancestry.co.uk), Findmypast (findmypast.co.uk), MyHeritage (myheritage.com) and TheGenealogist (thegenealogist. co.uk). Between them, they host billions of records, photographs, newspaper pages, user-generated trees and much, much more.
But which site best meets your own particular needs? And how does it compare to the others in terms of features, ease of use, and ultimately – given you’re typically spending over £100 on an annual subscription – value for money?
MEET THE PANEL
These were the questions we knew needed answering. And who better to investigate on your behalf than your fellow readers – enthusiastic family historians just like yourselves? We asked for help, and you responded. We’ve handpicked five readers covering the full range of experience, from seasoned genealogists with decades of practice to one beginner who has only recently picked up the baton after a 15-year gap. We gave them subscriptions to all four websites and asked them to evaluate each one across a range of criteria, from the quality of their record collections and tree-building capabilities to how easy they are to use and search.
You can find out more about each member of the panel on the right, before turning the page to discover what they thought about each of the four websites. Armed with the benefit of their experience and hard-won insights, you’ll have a much better idea of what each site can offer you, and whether it meets your current needs. Happy hunting!
DAVE MORRIS
I’ve been researching my tree seriously for over 22 years, building on the work of my uncle. I have a huge tree, since I spend an inordinate amount of time on it and follow all the branches as far as I can. I’m a long-term user of Ancestry and FamilySearch and have done a DNA test, which is now finding relations in distant corners of the world. I’m fascinated by graveyards and church memorials.
WHAT I’VE LEARNT I enjoyed having a chance to see what other sites have to offer and discovering that they all have their unique hidden gems.
