Family Trees vs Ancestry
Short answerAncestry is a research service: its strength is historical records and DNA testing, most of it behind a subscription. Family Trees is a private, photo-first family tree maker you build with relatives, free for up to 100 people. Many people use both: research on Ancestry, then export a GEDCOM file and keep the family, with faces and voices, in Family Trees.
At a glance
| Family Trees | Ancestry | |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | A private family album and tree, built together | Researching ancestors in records, plus DNA |
| Build a tree for free | Yes, one tree of up to 100 people | Yes, a free account can build a tree |
| Historical record search | Not offered | Yes, the core of the paid membership |
| DNA testing | Not offered | Yes, AncestryDNA kits are sold separately |
| Photos on each person | Round portraits, galleries, tagging in group photos | Yes, photos can be uploaded to a tree |
| Recorded voice memories | Yes, recorded in the browser | Not a core feature |
| Invite family to edit | Yes, editor or viewer, free to join | Yes, trees can be shared with invited people |
| GEDCOM | Export free on every plan; import with Plus or Lifetime | Tree owners can export a GEDCOM file |
When Ancestry is the better choice
If you are trying to find people you don’t know about yet, Ancestry is the stronger tool. Census returns, immigration lists, parish registers and military records are what turn a guess into a fact, and Ancestry’s membership is built around searching them. Its DNA test adds cousin matches that can break through a brick wall. Family Trees has neither: it does not search records and it does not do DNA.
When Family Trees is the better choice
Family Trees is for the family you already know and want to keep. Every person gets a round photo portrait and a page with their dates, places and closest relatives. You can tag everyone in a group photo, record a grandparent telling a story, and see birthdays and anniversaries coming up in Moments. Trees are private to you and the people you invite, and there are no ads on any plan.
It is also simple to share. Send a link, choose whether each relative can edit or only view, and everyone sees one tree in their browser. Joining a shared tree is free.
Using both: move your Ancestry tree with GEDCOM
Ancestry lets the owner of a tree export it as a GEDCOM file, the standard format every genealogy program reads. Download it, then import it into Family Trees with Plus or Lifetime (the 7-day trial includes import). Names, dates, places, couples and parent links come across; photos are not part of GEDCOM, so add those afterwards. The steps are in exporting a GEDCOM from Ancestry and importing a GEDCOM into Family Trees.
Going the other way is free: Family Trees exports GEDCOM on every plan, so your family is never locked in.
Privacy
In Family Trees a tree is visible only to you and the people you invite. There are no public profiles of your relatives and nothing is matched against other people’s trees. Exactly what is stored, and where, is in the privacy policy.
Questions
Is Family Trees a free alternative to Ancestry?
For building and sharing a family tree, yes: Family Trees is free for one tree of up to 100 people, with photos, all five tree views and sharing. It does not replace Ancestry’s record search or DNA testing, which Family Trees does not offer.
Can I move my Ancestry tree into Family Trees?
Yes. Export your tree from Ancestry as a GEDCOM file, then import it in Family Trees with Plus or Lifetime; the 7-day trial includes import. Photos are not part of the GEDCOM format, so you add them in Family Trees afterwards.
Does Family Trees have hints or record matches like Ancestry?
No. Family Trees does not search historical records or compare your tree with other people’s trees. It is a private place to keep and share the family you know, with photos, voices and dates.
Sources
Links go to other sites. Checked 19 October 2026.
Questions? Email support@familytreesapp.com and a person will reply.