This comparison is written by Generation Archives, so we're not a neutral party. We've described Gramps using the project's own pages and linked them so you can check.
Generation Archives vs Gramps: open-source desktop power or a simple free tree online?
Gramps and Generation Archives are both free to use (Generation Archives charges only for media hosting beyond its free upload credit), and both can import and export GEDCOM. Gramps is free, open-source genealogy software, built by a community of genealogists, that you install on your own computer. It aims to work for hobbyists and to be feature-complete for professional genealogists. Generation Archives is a free family tree in your browser and on your phone, focused on people, photos, and stories rather than research tooling.
The short version
- Choose Gramps if you want a powerful open-source research tool on your own computer, with deep data on sources, events and places, many reports, and add-ons. Gramps Web is available if you want to self-host a web version.
- Choose Generation Archives if you want a free tree with nothing to install or host, photos tagged to each person, drag-anywhere layouts, and private sharing with invited relatives.
- Use both. Research in Gramps, then export GEDCOM to share a simpler, photo-friendly tree with family.
Where Gramps shines
Gramps is mature, community-governed, and licensed under the GPL. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and its data model handles sources, citations, events and places in depth. It reads and writes GEDCOM 5.5.1 and has its own Gramps XML format for full backups. For anyone who wants control over their data on their own machine and professional-grade research tools, it's a great choice.
Where Generation Archives fits
Generation Archives trades research depth for simplicity. There's nothing to install, update or host, and the app 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, and linking photos you already store elsewhere is free. You can drag anyone anywhere, auto-arrange, keep several named layouts, tag people in photos, and add any number of parents per person. Trees are private by default, visible only to you and relatives you invite unless you share a public link.
Side by side
| Gramps | Generation Archives | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free and open source (GPL-2.0) | Free to use. Media hosting beyond 100 MB-years of free upload credit is $1 per GB per year |
| Runs on | Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux). Gramps Web can be self-hosted | Browser and phone, nothing to install or host |
| Research depth | Extensive: sources, citations, events, places, reports, add-ons | Simple: people, relationships, photos, notes and bios |
| Sharing | Reports and exports, or Gramps Web if you host it | Invite relatives, or share a public link |
| Layout | Charts and views generated from the data | Drag-anywhere, auto-arrange, several named layouts |
| GEDCOM | Reads and writes GEDCOM 5.5.1 | Imports and exports GEDCOM 5.5.1, GEDCOM 7.0 and GEDZIP (GEDZIP links to pictures but doesn't include the image files) |
Moving between Gramps and Generation Archives
- In Gramps, use Family Trees → Export and choose GEDCOM.
- In Generation Archives, open Import / export and import the .ged file.
- Add photos, since GEDCOM files don't contain pictures.
- To go the other way, export GEDCOM 5.5.1 from Generation Archives and import it in Gramps.
GEDCOM can't carry everything either app stores, so keep your original files as a backup. See What is GEDCOM?.
What the table means in practice
- "Free and open source." Gramps costs nothing and its code is public under the GPL-2.0 license, which matters if you care about long-term control of your data. Generation Archives is free to use but is a hosted service, so it is not open source. If open source is a requirement for you, that decides the question.
- "Runs on desktop." Gramps lives on your computer. You manage updates, backups, and the file. That is a plus if you like control and a chore if you do not. Gramps Web can be self-hosted if you want a web version, but you run the server.
- "Research depth: extensive." Gramps separates people, events, places, sources, and citations into their own records, which is more rigorous and also more to learn. Generation Archives keeps things simpler: people, relationships, photos, notes, and bios.
- "Sharing." With Gramps, the usual way to share is a report or an export. With Generation Archives you invite relatives to the tree itself.
- "GEDCOM." Both read and write it. Gramps recommends its own Gramps XML format for full backups, because GEDCOM cannot carry everything Gramps stores. That is worth knowing before you rely on a GEDCOM as your only copy.
Who tends to choose which
Gramps suits people who like precision. If you enjoy recording where a fact came from, separating an event from the place it happened, and building reports, you will get a lot from it. It is also a good choice if you prefer to run software yourself.
A hosted tree suits people who want the family to see and add to the tree without installing anything, or who think mainly in terms of people and photos and are put off by a lot of fields. It also suits families where the person doing the research is not the only person who wants to look.
Neither choice is permanent. Because both read and write GEDCOM, you can build in Gramps and share through a simpler tree, or start simple and move to Gramps if you outgrow it.
A fuller migration plan
From Gramps to Generation Archives
- Back up Gramps first. Export a Gramps XML file, which Gramps recommends for backups, and keep it somewhere safe. This is your complete copy.
- Export GEDCOM. In Gramps, use Family Trees → Export and choose GEDCOM. The Gramps manual describes options for filtering the export. Decide whether to include living people.
- Import into Generation Archives. Open Import / export and import the .ged file. The result is a new tree, and your other trees are not touched.
- Compare counts. Check the number of people against Gramps. Open a few people from different branches.
- Expect some loss. Gramps stores more than GEDCOM can hold. Detailed citations may arrive as notes. Custom event types may be simplified. Media is not inside the file.
- Re-attach photos. Upload them, or link ones that already have a public address.
- Arrange and invite. Auto arrange, adjust layout, and invite relatives.
How to import a GEDCOM lists the usual changes to look for.
From Generation Archives to Gramps
- Export GEDCOM 5.5.1, the version Gramps reads and writes. How to export a family tree as GEDCOM has the steps.
- In Gramps, import the file into a new family tree. Review the import log for warnings.
- Photos and files are not in the GEDCOM. Link them from your own copies.
- Keep your original files. A GEDCOM is not a full backup of everything on screen.
What to do about sources and citations
This is where the two tools differ most. Gramps has a place for every citation. In Generation Archives, you write a note on the person or the photo. If you are moving from Gramps and have a lot of citations, expect to review them after the import, and consider keeping the Gramps database as your source of record. If you are moving the other way and your notes are informal, the guide to citing photos, letters and interviews shows a simple pattern you can reuse in either tool.
For a broader comparison of free options, see free family tree websites compared.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gramps free?
Yes. Gramps is free, open-source software.
Is Generation Archives open source?
No. Generation Archives is a free hosted web app, not an open-source project.
Which is better for a beginner?
It depends on what you want. Gramps rewards people who want deep research tools. Generation Archives is built to be quick to start, with a no-signup demo tree on the homepage you can try first.
Which GEDCOM version should I use to move from Generation Archives to Gramps?
GEDCOM 5.5.1, which Gramps reads and writes. Generation Archives exports both 5.5.1 and 7.0.
Can I run Gramps in a browser?
Gramps Web is a self-hosted web version of the project. You need a server to run it. Generation Archives is hosted for you and needs no setup.
Will my Gramps citations survive the move?
Some will, usually as notes, but not as structured citations. Keep your Gramps database or a Gramps XML backup if citations matter to you.
Is a GEDCOM enough as a backup?
Not by itself. It carries people and relationships but not photos, and it can drop app-specific details. Keep the original files, and see how to back up a family tree.
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Related
- Generation Archives vs Family Tree Maker: desktop research software or a free tree in your browser?
- What is GEDCOM? A plain-English guide to moving family trees between apps
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- A private family tree you share only with relatives
- Free family tree websites compared (2026): limits, privacy, and trade-offs
- How to import a GEDCOM file, and what usually breaks
- How to export your family tree as GEDCOM, and make it a real backup
- How to back up your family tree: a 3-2-1 plan