Family Trees vs Geni
Short answerGeni, owned by MyHeritage, links each family into one collaborative World Family Tree, where profiles of deceased people are generally public and living relatives stay private. Family Trees keeps your family in its own private tree, built like a photo album with portraits, recorded voices and birthdays, visible only to relatives you invite.
At a glance
| Family Trees | Geni | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Your own private tree | One collaborative World Family Tree |
| Deceased relatives | Private to your family | Generally public profiles |
| Living relatives | Private | Private |
| Free plan | 1 tree, up to 100 people | A free Basic membership |
| Photos and tagging | Portraits, galleries and group-photo tags | Photos can be added |
| Recorded voice memories | Yes, in the browser | Not a core feature |
| GEDCOM | Export free; import with Plus or Lifetime | GEDCOM export available, with limits |
When Geni is the better choice
If you want your ancestors joined to a single tree shared with genealogists around the world, Geni is designed for it. Distant cousins may already have added your great-grandparents, and connecting to their work can save a lot of time.
When Family Trees is the better choice
In a world tree, other people’s research becomes part of your family’s record, and deceased relatives’ profiles are generally public. Family Trees keeps everything private: your tree, your photos and your recordings are visible only to the people you invite. It is made for the family you know, with a round portrait for everyone, tagged group photos, recorded stories and Moments for birthdays and anniversaries.
Moving your Geni tree
Geni offers GEDCOM export, with limits on how many profiles a file can hold. Import the file into Family Trees with Plus or Lifetime (the 7-day trial includes it); see importing a GEDCOM file. Read what GEDCOM is for what carries across.
Questions
What is the difference between Geni and Family Trees?
Geni joins families into one collaborative World Family Tree, where deceased people’s profiles are generally public. Family Trees keeps your family in a private tree that only invited relatives can see, with photos, recorded voices and birthday reminders.
Is Geni owned by MyHeritage?
Yes, Geni is part of MyHeritage. For how Family Trees compares with MyHeritage itself, see the MyHeritage comparison.
Can I import a Geni GEDCOM into Family Trees?
Yes. Export a GEDCOM file from Geni and import it into Family Trees with Plus or Lifetime; the 7-day trial includes import.
Sources
- Geni: About us (collaborative World Family Tree)
- Geni blog: Privacy changes on Geni (living profiles private, deceased public by default)
Links go to other sites. Checked 19 October 2026.
Questions? Email support@familytreesapp.com and a person will reply.