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General => Technical Help => Family History Programs, Tree Organisation, Presentation => Topic started by: Philldw on Saturday 19 December 15 18:31 GMT (UK)

Title: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: Philldw on Saturday 19 December 15 18:31 GMT (UK)
Can anyone recommend a good software package for constructing my family tree? ..other than this website..Many Thanks David
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: KGarrad on Saturday 19 December 15 20:50 GMT (UK)
That's a difficult question!
And rather like asking which is the best beer? or Best car? ::)

Personally, I use RootsMagic.
Others use Family Historian, FatmilyTreeMaker, Legacy, etc.etc.

Have a look at the Forum, Technical Help, Family History Programs, Tree Organisation, Presentation

Lots of similar posts on there! ;D
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: stevew101 on Saturday 19 December 15 21:30 GMT (UK)
Hi David,

May also be worth looking at Brothers Keeper.  Very comprehensive reporting.

Steve
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: MaecW on Saturday 19 December 15 21:52 GMT (UK)
I agree with Steve. I've been using Brother's Keeper for many years. It does everything I want it to and is basically Free  ;D.
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: pinefamily on Saturday 19 December 15 22:23 GMT (UK)
Have a look at the various software websites; most, if not all, have demo versions to look at and try. Or as MaecW pointed out, any of the free ones can be trialled without cost.
And it is like KGarrad mentioned, what is the best beer, or best car? Everyone has their preference. I also used RootsMagic, after giving Legacy a go, and before that Generations. I now use an online site, Tribalpages, which provides a free version, as well as paid ones which give you options for more photos and more data options.
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: Marylebone2010 on Sunday 20 December 15 16:40 GMT (UK)
Like many I expect, I'm reeling slightly from the news that FTM is only going to be supported for another year. So I'll have to choose another package and migrate over to it - probably sooner rather than later, since I plan to replace my laptop in the New Year anyway and that seems a sensible time to do it. 
I do feel a bit gloomy about having to change over however and I checked here to see whether there are very obvious front-runners in s/w. But of course I can see that it's not as simple as that. It's horses for courses. (Sigh)
Anyone moved from FTM in the recent past? What did you move to? Was it fairly simple or horrendous? Did you just do it via GEDCOM and did that work OK? Family Historian and Legacy seem to get good reviews?
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: KGarrad on Sunday 20 December 15 16:57 GMT (UK)
So, why are you moving away from FTM?

Just because it will no longer be supported simply means that there will be no more updates, and no help desk at the end of a telephone!
Whether the tree sync-ing will work is a debatable point?

It will continue to work for a few years yet! ;D
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: Marylebone2010 on Sunday 20 December 15 17:34 GMT (UK)
Well yes you're right of course.  There's no mad rush.  But if I've learnt one thing about IT over the years it's that it's usually better to move on, update and embrace change as it happens (or to be exact, to embrace it when it's 'settled down' a bit), rather than cling on because something "still works OK".  Even if you really feel you'd really rather not be bothered. Otherwise you just seem to store up trouble for yourself in the long run and the change becomes more difficult.

Plus if I start the new laptop with the new software, then I can keep the old one going with FTM on it until I feel really confident.... ;)
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: C_W on Sunday 20 December 15 20:47 GMT (UK)
I have moved my tree to RootsMagic 7. Following an update last night, media was imported too. RootsMagic have a free trail download,. They seem to be trying to attract people leaving FTM. I have not had enough time yet to double check facts etc, but so far very easy. RootsMagic website also have a pdf giving instructions on doing the export\import.
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: annieoburns on Saturday 26 December 15 15:51 GMT (UK)
I am interested in this topic also and someone over Christmas has asked to help him get started in FT research and recommend a software package.  I think I will keep going with FTM until run into trouble but also have another one to default to in future.  Is it as easy as creating a GEDCOM and moving all data to a new system?   I have a load of miscellaneous info in the notes section for example and already have two FTM versions with I suspect different bits on each.  So already bit disorganised....
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: Guy Etchells on Saturday 26 December 15 18:51 GMT (UK)
Choosing genealogy software depends on the requirements of the individual.
I have tried most stand alone Windows family history programs but still found Brothers Keeper to be the best for my needs.

I started with family tree software for the Amiga, Amigene but when the Amiga started falling behind Windows converted to Windows for my computing needs.
I have since tried and tested Personal Ancestral file, Family Tree Maker, Legacy Family Tree, RootsMagic, Generations, Ancestral Quest, Heredis, Genbox Family History, Gramps, The Master Genealogist, Family Historian and a number of other long forgotten programmes.

I also now use Treedraw to construct an all in one tree that no other family tree software can do successfully.

Cheers
Guy
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: mike175 on Saturday 26 December 15 22:48 GMT (UK)
Just putting in another vote for RootsMagic :) I first tried it around 10 years ago after finding most of the others lacking. I now use the UK version as I'm UK based. It is very well endowed with practical features and even has built in report and chart designers so you can produce customised charts/reports.

I think any GEDCOM transfer between different programs should correctly copy all the basic facts, dates, etc. but is likely to get a bit confused with non-standard, program-specific features :-\

Mike.
(No connection with the company)
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: pinefamily on Sunday 27 December 15 08:52 GMT (UK)
As long as the two programs use the same version of Gedcom.
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: StevieSteve on Sunday 27 December 15 10:22 GMT (UK)
I don't think it's quite as straightforward as that.

From reading the Family Historian forum, the problems will be User Defined Facts, Notes, Media and in some cases Date Range formats.

That said, the continuing players seem to be providing migration processes, so it's the effectiveness of those as well as the actual program itself that you may want to evaluate

Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: annieoburns on Sunday 27 December 15 19:46 GMT (UK)
Rootsmagic it is then... just downloaded the 'free' version and searched  for a Gedcom already on the laptop and bingo!  all there including notes so happy bunny   :)  Thanks for advice all.
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: pinefamily on Sunday 27 December 15 20:34 GMT (UK)
StevieSteve,
I think you're correct. I seem to recall I had some issues with notes not transferring properly when I used Gedcom between programs. I think it was Generations that had various Facts in separate sections, and these all came across into RootsMagic as notes, a little jumbled up. Not the end of the world, just a bit of sorting afterwards.
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: northern_rose on Thursday 21 January 16 15:42 GMT (UK)
I've been watching this thread with interest as my FTM programme seems to have died. It was linked to Ancestry where I have continued to make additions/changes thinking if I ever got back into FTM it would sync again.

Do you know if you can pull a GEDCOM from Ancestry?
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: StevieSteve on Thursday 21 January 16 15:48 GMT (UK)
Yes.

Go to
 Family Trees
Manage Trees
Create & Manage Trees
Export Gedcom


Edit: swap steps 2 & 3
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: northern_rose on Thursday 21 January 16 16:00 GMT (UK)
Thanks Steve!
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: cbcarolyn on Thursday 21 January 16 16:05 GMT (UK)
I have FTM and will continue using it for a while, the biggest advantage to me is the synch feature so that images are downloaded onto my PC and are then in my possession. 

I used to have rootsmagic, which I actually preferred but found it quite labour intensive to keep downloading and then linking images.  So I am assuming that there is no other software that will download and autolink?
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: Treetotal on Thursday 21 January 16 16:10 GMT (UK)
I have been using FTM for quite a few years and have been quite happy with it...but it's down to personal choice...I do like the Tree-Sync facility and would be sorry to see it go.
Carol
Title: Re: Best Family Tree Software
Post by: northern_rose on Thursday 21 January 16 16:13 GMT (UK)
I have been using FTM for quite a few years and have been quite happy with it...but it's down to personal choice...I do like the Tree-Sync facility and would be sorry to see it go.
Carol

I agree, I really liked FTM for this reason but my 2014 version won't open!