Written by Generation Archives. We make the product described here. This page explains our pricing. It is not a ranked list of other family-tree apps.

Family tree software with no subscription

Published by Generation Archives. Last updated November 5, 2026.

Generation Archives is free to use. An account, the family tree, stories, and inviting relatives do not require a payment. Photos can stay free too: leave files where you already store them and link the public address on the tree. You pay only if you want us to host those files, and that payment is prepaid credit, not a subscription.

What you can do without paying

People, relationships, dates, notes, memories, and links do not cost anything. You can keep more than one tree on the same account, drag people into a layout you like, or use auto arrange as a starting point. Invite relatives to view or edit. Import GEDCOM 5.5.1, GEDCOM 7.0, GEDZIP, and Family Echo HTML. Export GEDCOM 5.5.1, GEDCOM 7.0, GEDZIP, and a PDF, PNG, or JPEG image of the tree. A GEDZIP carries picture links, not the image files.

You can try a demo tree before you create an account. Demo changes stay on your device and are not saved to a real account.

Use photos you already have, and pay nothing

You do not have to upload a shoebox of scans for the tree to include them. If a photo, video, or document already has a public URL, add that address as media. It does not use Generation Archives storage credit, so this path stays at $0. You can still tag the people in that media and keep stories on their profiles.

A person's profile can also hold ordinary links, such as an album or a document page. Those do not use storage either.

The address has to be a public URL the tree can open. If the other host removes the file, or the link only works when you are signed in there, the tree cannot show it. Hosting with us is the alternative when you want the file kept here. The pricing page lists both choices.

Hosting files with us is optional

Hosted photos and files cost $1 per GB per year. You buy credit when you want it. There is no monthly plan and no auto-renewal. Credit lasts until your stored files consume it, so storing less makes the same purchase last longer.

New accounts include 100 MB-years of starter credit. The clock starts on the first upload, not at signup.
The smallest purchase is 5 GB-years ($5), then 1 GB-year steps after that.
Example: $5 with about 1 GB stored lasts about 5 years.

When credit runs out, hosted media is no longer accessible. After 6 months, that media is permanently deleted. We email you when remaining credit drops below about one year at your current usage. Names, dates, relationships, and links to files you keep elsewhere are not deleted because credit expired.

Prepaid credit vs a subscription: worked examples

A subscription charges a fixed amount on a schedule whether you use the product that month or not. Prepaid credit works the other way around: you pay once, and the balance goes down in proportion to how much you store and for how long. The unit is the GB-year, one gigabyte kept for one year. The rate is $1 per GB-year, and the smallest purchase is 5 GB-years for $5. The examples below use only those numbers, and they are rounded, so treat them as estimates and not as a quote.

Example 1: a small archive of scans

You scan about 300 photos at a moderate resolution and the folder comes to roughly 1 GB. Buying the minimum $5 gives 5 GB-years, so at 1 GB stored the credit lasts about 5 years. If you keep adding files, the same balance shortens, and if you remove files, it stretches. Compare that with a plan that bills every month or every year for the same five-year stretch: you would have made dozens of payment decisions instead of one.

Example 2: a modest archive plus a few videos

You host about 4 GB, mostly photos and a handful of short clips from family gatherings. At $1 per GB-year, that is about $4 for each year it stays hosted. A $10 purchase is 10 GB-years, which covers roughly two and a half years at that size. You can top up before it runs out, in 1 GB-year steps once you have made the first $5 purchase.

Example 3: a large archive

You host about 20 GB of high-resolution scans and video. That consumes roughly 20 GB-years across a full year, so $5 would last about three months and $20 about a year. This is the case where hosting costs the most, and also the case where it is worth asking whether every file needs to live here. Hosting a curated set of the best images and linking the rest from a place you already store them keeps the balance lasting longer.

Example 4: the starter credit alone

New accounts include 100 MB-years. If you host 50 MB, that is about two years. If you host 100 MB, it is about one year. The clock starts on your first upload, not when you sign up, so creating an account and building the tree costs you none of it. Plenty of families stay inside the starter credit for a long time, because a tree with a few hundred small photos is not very large.

Where a subscription still comes out ahead

Prepaid credit is not always cheaper. If you would use a large amount of storage and also want record collections, a subscription that bundles those may fit better. And if you prefer an automatic charge so you never think about renewals, a subscription removes that task. What prepaid credit gives you is a bill that tracks use, with no recurring charge to cancel and no price step when a promotional rate ends.

When linking media is enough

Many families do not need hosted storage at all. Linking works well when the files already live somewhere stable that you control or trust, and when the address is public so the tree can open it. Linked media costs nothing in storage credit, so the whole tree can remain free.

Situations where linking is a good fit

You already keep scans on a personal website, a shared album, or a cloud folder with a public address, and you plan to keep them there.
An archive, library, or relative holds the original and publishes a stable public URL for it.
You mostly want stories, dates, and relationships in the tree and treat photos as illustrations.
You are testing the product and do not want to move files until you know it suits the family.

Situations where linking is a weaker fit

The link only works while you are signed in to another service. The tree cannot open a page that requires a login on a different site.
The other host may delete or rename the file. A link that breaks leaves a gap on the profile.
You do not want the photo reachable by anyone who has its address. A public URL is public, so a private family snapshot may belong in hosted storage instead.
The only copy of the file is on a phone or laptop with no public address. Something has to hold it first, whether that is a host you choose or Generation Archives.

A simple mixed approach

You are not forced to choose one method for the entire tree. Link the files that are safely stored elsewhere and host only the ones that have nowhere else to go. Tagging works the same way for both kinds of media, so a person's profile looks the same whether the picture is linked or hosted. You can change your mind later: add a hosted copy of an important image after you notice its link has become unreliable.

What happens when credit runs out, in detail

Running out of credit affects hosted files only. It does not touch the tree itself. This section walks through the sequence so nothing comes as a surprise.

Balance falls below about one year of use. We email you when the remaining credit drops below about one year at your current usage. That is the signal to decide whether to add credit or reduce what you store.
Credit reaches zero. Hosted media is no longer accessible. Profiles that showed a hosted photo no longer display it, and the same goes for hosted video and documents.
The 6-month window. After 6 months without credit, the hosted media is permanently deleted. This is the point of no return for those files, so keep originals on your own devices.
After deletion. People, relationships, dates, notes, memories, and links to files you keep elsewhere remain. Only the hosted bytes are gone.

What is never deleted because of expired credit

Your tree is free, and it stays that way. Names, dates, places, relationships, stories, collaborators, and every link to media stored on another host are unaffected by an empty balance. Linked media does not use credit, so it keeps working as long as the other host keeps the file available.

How to avoid losing hosted files

Keep your original scans and photos. Treat hosted copies as a convenience for the family, not as your only backup. The backup guide covers a simple routine.
Add credit when the one-year email arrives, or when you plan a big upload that will use it faster.
Remove hosted files you no longer need to make the balance last longer.
Export a GEDCOM 5.5.1, GEDCOM 7.0, or GEDZIP now and then. These carry people and relationships. A GEDZIP carries picture links, not the image files, so it is not a copy of hosted photos.

Planning around the deadline

Because credit declines with use, you can estimate your runway at any time: divide the GB-years you have left by the GB you store. A balance of 5 GB-years with 2.5 GB stored lasts about two years. A calendar reminder a few months before that date costs nothing and prevents most surprises.

Checklist for choosing how to handle media

List where your photos, videos, and documents live today.
Mark which ones already have a stable, public address. These can be linked for free.
Mark which ones exist only on a device or behind a login. These need a home, either hosted here or a service you pick.
Estimate the total size in GB of whatever you would host, then divide the credit you would buy by that number to get years of runway.
Decide whether any of the media should not be reachable by a public address. If so, host it instead of linking it.
Check that you keep an original copy of anything you cannot replace.
Decide whether you also need records or DNA matching. If you do, a research subscription is a separate purchase, and you can still bring people over by GEDCOM.
Put the tree to work first, since it is free. Add hosted files later, once you know how much you really need.

Common questions

Is the family tree really free, with no trial period?

Yes. The tree, stories, several trees under one account, and invitations to relatives do not require a payment, and there is no trial that expires. A payment only comes into play if you choose to host files with us.

Do I need to pay to import or export my tree?

No. Import GEDCOM 5.5.1, GEDCOM 7.0, GEDZIP, and Family Echo HTML. Export GEDCOM 5.5.1, GEDCOM 7.0, GEDZIP, and a PDF, PNG, or JPEG image of the tree. A GEDZIP carries picture links, not the image files. See how to import a GEDCOM for what to expect.

Does the credit renew automatically?

No. There is no subscription and no auto-renewal. You buy credit when you want it, and nothing is charged on a schedule.

What is the smallest amount I can buy?

The minimum is 5 GB-years for $5. After that, you can add credit in steps of 1 GB-year.

When does the starter credit begin?

New accounts include 100 MB-years of starter credit, and it starts counting from your first upload, not from the day you sign up.

Can I stay free forever by linking?

Yes, as long as the files you link keep a public address on the host where they live. If a host removes a file, the tree cannot show it, and you can host that file with us.

Does linked media use credit?

No. A link to a public URL does not use storage credit, and you can still tag people in the media.

What if I stop paying and walk away?

The tree stays. Hosted media becomes inaccessible when credit is gone and is permanently deleted after 6 months. Make a backup before that happens.

Is a private tree different from a free one?

No. A tree is private by default whether or not you ever buy credit. You decide who to invite. The private family tree guide explains invitations and what a public link does.

When a subscription genealogy site is the better buy

A subscription is worth it if you need historical record collections or a DNA test match list. Generation Archives does not search archives and does not offer DNA matching. We will not pretend a photo archive replaces that research. If records and DNA are the job, use a site built for them, then export a GEDCOM if you want the people in a private archive.

Who this pricing is for

Use Generation Archives if you already know the people you want to record, and you want the photos and stories kept with them, privately, without a bill. You can do that for free by linking media you already store. Try the demo, open the sample tree, or create a free account when you are ready to keep your own tree.

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