Family tree apps compared
Bargad, Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilySearch, Family Echo and Geni, side by side. Prices and policies were checked on 30 October 2026, from each service’s own pages, and they change, so check before you pay.
The short answer
Pick Ancestry or MyHeritage if you want historical records and DNA matches, and expect to pay. Pick FamilySearch for free records and a shared tree. Pick Family Echo for a simple free tree with advertising. Pick Geni to join the one world tree. Pick Bargad for a free tree that is private to your family, with every marriage drawn and relation names in Hindi, and no records or DNA.
The six side by side
| Bargad | Ancestry | MyHeritage | FamilySearch | Family Echo | Geni | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free. No paid tier. | A free account can build a tree; records from $24.99 a month. | Free to 250 people; plans from $79 a year. | Free. | Free, supported by advertising. | Free Basic; Pro $149 a year. |
| Who can see your tree | Only people you invite. | Private option, can be unsearchable. | Family site by invitation or approved request. | Dead relatives in one public tree; living people private. | Only people with your share link. | Living profiles private; dead profiles public unless set private. |
| How trees are shared | One tree per family; relatives add, owner approves. | Your own tree, shared by invitation. | Your own family site. | One shared tree for all users, plus private and group trees. | Your own tree, shared by link. | One world tree, with merged profiles. |
| Several marriages | All drawn side by side. | Stored; the vertical view shows all. | Added next to each other. | Several spouses can be added. | Partners and ex-partners. | Several, with order and status. |
| GEDCOM | Import and export. | Export without a membership; import. | Import and export. | Upload to Genealogies; no direct download from Family Tree. | Import; download as FamilyScript or HTML. | Import and export, with limits. |
| Photos | One per card; no limit. | 15 MB a file; no total limit found. | 500 MB free; more on paid plans. | 15 MB a file; no count limit. | Yes, when signed in. | 1 GB free; unlimited on Pro. |
| Historical records | None. | Billions of records. | 41.4 billion records. | Large free collections. | None. | No record collections found. |
| DNA | None. | AncestryDNA, $99. | DNA kit. | None found. | None. | Not checked. |
| Phone and language | Phone browser, no app yet. English; Hindi relation names. | iPhone and Android apps in 6 languages. | iPhone and Android; site in 50 languages, Hindi included. | Family Tree app. Languages not confirmed. | Website; 60+ languages, Hindi included. | Several languages; app not confirmed. |
| Your family’s data | Never sold or shared (apart from the services that run it), never used to train AI. | Says it doesn’t sell personal information; advertising cookies, with an opt-out. | Says it doesn’t sell or license user data. | Run by a nonprofit; privacy notice updated 24 March 2026. | Says it doesn’t sell or share; supported by advertising. | Policy mentions sharing aggregated, anonymous data with advertisers. |
Checked on 30 October 2026. Prices are in U.S. dollars. “Not confirmed” or “not checked” means we couldn’t verify it from the service’s own pages. The table scrolls sideways.
Which one is for you
- You want historical records or DNA matches. Ancestry or MyHeritage. Both are paid, both are far bigger than Bargad, and both let you download your tree as a GEDCOM file later.
- You want free records and don’t mind a shared tree. FamilySearch. Free, with large record collections. People who have died are in one public tree that any user can edit.
- You want one tree your family can see and add to, free. Bargad. Private to the relatives you invite, every marriage on the page, relation names in Hindi, and no records or DNA.
- You want a plain free tree and don’t mind advertising. Family Echo. Free since 2007, private to people with your share link, and available in 60+ languages including Hindi.
- You want to join the world tree and merge with other families. Geni. A free Basic account connects to the World Family Tree; Pro is $149 a year.
Read each comparison
- A free Ancestry alternative: free trees without a subscription, and what Ancestry’s records and DNA are worth.
- A free MyHeritage alternative: no 250-person cap, and where MyHeritage is stronger.
- A private alternative to FamilySearch: a tree only your family can change.
Already have a tree somewhere? Bring it here with a GEDCOM file; the steps for each app are on that page.
Questions
What is the best free family tree app?
It depends on the job. For a private tree your relatives can see and add to, with every marriage drawn, Bargad is free with no limit on people. FamilySearch is free with large record collections but uses one shared tree. Family Echo is free and supported by advertising. Ancestry and MyHeritage are paid for records and DNA.
Which family tree apps keep my tree private?
Bargad (invited people only), Ancestry (private and unsearchable trees), MyHeritage (a family site with its own access settings), and Family Echo (share link only) can keep a whole tree private. FamilySearch keeps living people private but puts people who have died in one public tree. Geni makes living profiles private and keeps its tree as one world tree.
Which family tree app is best for second marriages and step-families?
All of them can store several marriages. Bargad draws every marriage side by side with each partner’s children and has no preferred spouse. Ancestry’s vertical view can show all spouses, while its pedigree and fan views show one set of parents per person.
Can I move my family tree between these apps?
Mostly, with a GEDCOM file: it carries people, marriages, dates, places and notes, but not photos. Ancestry and MyHeritage let you export one. FamilySearch doesn’t let you download one directly from Family Tree and points to certified apps. Bargad opens GEDCOM files from all of them and exports its own.
Do I need to pay for a family tree?
No. Bargad, FamilySearch, Family Echo and the basic plans of Geni, MyHeritage (up to 250 people) and Ancestry (a free account can build a tree) cost nothing. You pay for records, DNA, larger trees or extra storage.
Where these facts come from
Prices and policies checked on 30 October 2026, from the services’ own pages. They change, so check the current page before you pay or move anything.