This comparison is written by Generation Archives, so we're not a neutral party. We've described FamilySearch using its own help pages and linked them so you can check.
Generation Archives vs FamilySearch: one shared world tree or your own family tree?
FamilySearch and Generation Archives are both free to use (Generation Archives charges only for media hosting beyond its free upload credit), but they work in very different ways. FamilySearch runs one shared family tree for the whole world, plus a large free collection of historical records. Generation Archives gives you your own family tree, with photos and stories, that only you and the relatives you invite can see unless you choose to share it.
The short version
- Choose FamilySearch to research ancestors in free historical records and to collaborate on one shared profile per deceased person with other descendants.
- Choose Generation Archives for a tree that is yours alone to arrange, with photos tagged to each person, layouts you set by hand, and room for blended or fictional families.
- Use both. Many people research on FamilySearch and keep a family archive elsewhere. GEDCOM moves people and relationships between apps.
How FamilySearch works
FamilySearch Family Tree is a single, shared tree. Its goal is one public profile for each deceased person, and anyone with a free account can add to and edit those profiles, much like a wiki. Information about living people is kept private: FamilySearch offers a private tree that only you can see and Family Group Trees that you share with selected family. Both connect to ancestors who are public to all users.
That shared model is a real strength. Work isn't duplicated, sources are pooled, and you can connect with other descendants of the same ancestors.
How Generation Archives is different
In Generation Archives, every tree is separate and belongs to you. Nobody outside the people you invite can edit it or see it, unless you turn on a public share link. You decide where every person sits: drag anyone anywhere, use auto-arrange for a start, and save several named layouts. You can add any number of parents per person and multiple spouses, which helps with step, adoptive and blended families, and with fictional families too.
Side by side
| FamilySearch | Generation Archives | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Generation Archives is free to use. Media uploads are limited: new accounts get 100 MB-years of free upload credit, then hosting is $1 per GB per year. Linking photos you already store elsewhere is free |
| Tree model | One shared world tree, editable by all users, with private and family-group spaces for living people | Your own separate trees, several per account |
| Who can see deceased relatives | Public profiles for deceased people | Only you and invited relatives, unless you share a public link |
| Historical records | Large free collection | None |
| Layout | Standard tree views | Drag-anywhere, auto-arrange, several named layouts |
| Photos | Memories can be attached to profiles | Photo tagging, notes and bios on each person |
| Import and export | GEDCOM | Import: GEDCOM 5.5.1, GEDCOM 7.0, GEDZIP and Family Echo HTML. Export: GEDCOM 5.5.1, GEDCOM 7.0, GEDZIP, and PDF, PNG or JPEG (an image of the tree) |
What the table means in practice
- "One shared world tree." This is the biggest difference and it cuts both ways. A shared tree means any ancestor you find may already have a profile built by cousins, which saves work. It also means anyone with an account can edit that profile, including in ways you disagree with. If you want a version of the family you control completely, you need a separate tree.
- "Who can see deceased relatives." On FamilySearch, deceased people's profiles are public to account holders. On Generation Archives, even long-dead relatives are visible only to you and invited relatives by default. This matters less for great-great-grandparents and more for people who died recently and still have living children.
- "Historical records: large free collection." This is a real advantage and the main reason many people use FamilySearch even if they keep a tree somewhere else.
- "Photos." Both can hold photos. The difference is in how: FamilySearch attaches memories to shared profiles, while Generation Archives ties photos and notes to people in a tree you control, and lets you tag several people in one picture.
- "Cost." Both are free to use. Generation Archives charges only if you ask it to host media beyond the starter credit. Linking photos that already have a public web address costs nothing. See pricing.
Two common ways to use both
Research on FamilySearch, archive on Generation Archives
Use FamilySearch to find records, check dates and add sources to the shared tree. Keep your own version, with the family photos, stories, and living relatives, in a tree that only you and your family can open. Update the private tree when you learn something. This avoids putting living relatives' details into any shared tree.
Start from a GEDCOM, then diverge
If your tree already exists on FamilySearch or in software that exports GEDCOM, you can import the file into Generation Archives as a new tree. After that, the two are separate. Changes you make in one do not appear in the other. That is useful if you want to arrange the tree your way, or add photos, without touching a shared profile. It also means you will need to decide how often to refresh. See how to import a GEDCOM for what to check afterward.
A practical note on moving data
FamilySearch's shared tree is not a file that you own, so there is no single "my tree" to export in the way there is with desktop software. What you can usually get out is a set of people and relationships that you have chosen, through the tools FamilySearch and its partner programs offer, in GEDCOM form. The options and menus change, so check FamilySearch's help pages before you start. Whatever you get, treat it as a draft to review:
- Open a handful of people from different branches and compare them with the source.
- Check relationships carefully. Shared trees sometimes carry disputed or merged parent links.
- Look for duplicates, particularly if you imported from more than one source. How to merge duplicate people has a safe order of steps.
- Remove or limit details about living people before you invite others. See what to record about living people.
- Export your own GEDCOM from Generation Archives after the cleanup, and keep it somewhere safe. Backing up a family tree has a routine.
When FamilySearch is the better choice
Choose FamilySearch if your goal is to connect your family to a shared record of all descendants of an ancestor, if you want free access to historical records, or if you enjoy collaborating with distant cousins on the same profiles. Choose a private tree if your goal is a family album, a place to store photos and stories, or a tree that only your relatives can see. You can and many people do use both.
For a wider view of free options, see free family tree websites compared, and for privacy models in general, public, private, or invite-only.
Frequently asked questions
Is FamilySearch free?
Yes. FamilySearch accounts, its shared Family Tree, and its historical records are free.
Why would I use Generation Archives if FamilySearch is free?
They do different jobs. FamilySearch is one shared tree that other users can edit. Generation Archives is your own tree, private by default, that you arrange by hand and fill with photos and stories. It also handles family shapes the shared tree isn't designed for, such as fictional families.
Can other people change my tree on Generation Archives?
Only the people you invite. Trees are private by default and visible only to you and invited relatives unless you share a public link.
Can I move people between FamilySearch and Generation Archives?
Generation Archives imports and exports GEDCOM 5.5.1, GEDCOM 7.0 and GEDZIP. GEDZIP keeps links to pictures, not the image files. See What is GEDCOM? for what a GEDCOM file carries and what it leaves out, such as photos.
Will changes I make in Generation Archives show up on FamilySearch?
No. They are separate. If you correct a date in your private tree, the shared profile is unchanged, and vice versa. Decide which one is your master and update the other when it matters.
Is it safe to put living relatives in a FamilySearch tree?
FamilySearch keeps information about living people private and offers private and family-group spaces for them, according to its help pages. Even so, think about what you are adding before you add it. See what to record about living people.
Do I need both?
No. If you want records and a shared tree, FamilySearch alone may be enough. If you want a private family archive, a private tree alone may be enough. Many people use both because they do different jobs.
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