This comparison is written by Generation Archives, so we're not a neutral party. We've tried to describe MyHeritage fairly, using its own help pages, and we link to them so you can check. Plans change, so confirm current details on MyHeritage's site.

Generation Archives vs MyHeritage: research platform or free private tree?

Published by Generation Archives on October 20, 2026. Last updated November 5, 2026.

MyHeritage and Generation Archives both let you build a family tree, but they are built for different jobs. MyHeritage is a large genealogy research platform with historical records, DNA testing, and automatic matching across millions of trees. Generation Archives is a free, simple family tree for keeping your people, photos, and stories in one place, visible only to you and the relatives you invite unless you choose to share it.

The short version

Choose MyHeritage if you want to research ancestors in historical records, take a DNA test, or get matches with other people's trees.
Choose Generation Archives if you want a free tree with no size cap tied to a plan, photos tagged to each person, layouts you arrange by hand, and a tree that stays private by default.
Use both if you research on MyHeritage and want a clean, shareable family archive elsewhere. GEDCOM files move people and relationships between the two.

Side by side

	MyHeritage	Generation Archives
Main purpose	Genealogy research: records, DNA, matches	A family tree and archive of photos and stories
Free option	Basic family site: up to 250 people and 500 MB of storage	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
Paid plans	Premium, PremiumPlus, Complete and Omni, billed annually, adding larger trees, matches and historical records	None. You only pay for photo hosting if you use it
Historical records and DNA	Yes, a core part of the service	No. Generation Archives is not a records or DNA service
Who can see your tree	Depends on your family site and privacy settings	Private by default: only you and invited relatives, unless you share a public link
Layout	Automatic tree views	Drag anyone anywhere, auto-arrange, and several named layouts
Complex families	Supported	Any number of parents per person and multiple spouses
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)

Where MyHeritage shines

MyHeritage is built for discovery. Its paid plans add historical record collections and automatic matches that suggest where your relatives may appear in other trees and records. Its DNA features can connect you with relatives you didn't know about. If you are actively researching ancestors you can't name yet, that is something Generation Archives doesn't try to do.

Where Generation Archives fits

Generation Archives is for the tree you already know, or are building by hand: your own family, a blended family with step and adoptive parents, or even a fictional family for a story or a Sims legacy. The whole tree is free. You can tag people in photos, write notes and bios, and arrange the tree exactly the way you want it, then save several named layouts. Trees are private by default, so only you and the relatives you invite can see them unless you turn on a public share link.

Moving a tree from MyHeritage

In MyHeritage, export your tree as a GEDCOM file (.ged).
In Generation Archives, open Import / export and import the file.
Add photos. A GEDCOM file does not contain pictures, so upload them or link photos you already store elsewhere.
Use auto-arrange for a starting layout, then drag people where you want them.

See What is GEDCOM? for what moves across and what doesn't.

What the table means in practice

A comparison table flattens things. These notes add the context that does not fit in a cell.

The 250-person cap. MyHeritage's free Basic site is limited to 250 people and 500 MB. A tree built from three or four generations of a large family can pass 250 people quickly, because each generation back roughly doubles the direct line and each marriage adds in-laws and children. If you are near the limit, the next step on MyHeritage is a paid plan. If you want the tree to stay free, exporting a GEDCOM and keeping the full tree elsewhere is an option.
"Historical records and DNA: Yes / No." This is the largest difference. If you do not yet know who your great-grandparents were, a records service may be what you need, and Generation Archives will not help you find them. If you already know them and want to keep the photographs and stories, records are less relevant.
"Who can see your tree." On MyHeritage the answer depends on your family site settings. On Generation Archives the default is you and your invited relatives. Whichever you use, look at the setting itself rather than relying on the default.
"Layout." Automatic layouts are fine for small trees. When a tree has half-siblings, remarriages and cousin marriages, lines tend to cross. Hand-placed layouts are slower to set up but easier to read afterward.
"Import and export." GEDCOM is the shared format, and it carries people and relationships, not photos. This is true for both products and for almost every other. Read what is GEDCOM if you want the detail.

A fuller migration plan

The short list under "Moving a tree from MyHeritage" is enough if your tree is small. If you have years of work in it, use this longer version.

Before you export

Decide what you want to keep. People and relationships come across in a GEDCOM. Photos, matches, and DNA results do not. Smart Matches and record matches are features of the MyHeritage service, so they stay there.
Download your photos separately. If you uploaded originals, you probably still have them. If the only copies are on MyHeritage, download them while you still have your account. Check the site's help pages for the current way to do this, because menus change.
Count your people. Note the number of people and a few names from each branch. You will compare these after the import.
Check living people. Decide whether the living relatives in your tree should come across. See what to record about living people.

Export

In MyHeritage, export the tree as a GEDCOM (.ged) file. Look in the tree management area of your account. If you are given a choice of options, such as including or excluding certain data, choose the one that includes everyone you want to keep.
Save the file in two places, for example your computer and a cloud folder. This is your first backup.

Import

In Generation Archives, open Import / export and import the file. You will see a preview before anything is created. The import creates a new tree and does not change any tree you already have.
Compare the total number of people with your earlier count. A small difference is common. A large one means something went wrong in the export, and it is worth running the export again.

Check and tidy

Open five or six people from different branches. Look at names, dates, places, and parents. Look especially at anyone with an unusual structure, such as adoptive parents, remarriages, or two sets of parents.
Look for duplicates. Trees that have been edited for years often contain the same person twice. How to merge duplicate people in a family tree explains a safe order of steps.
Add photos back. Upload them, or link ones that already have a public web address, which costs nothing. See pricing for the difference.
Auto arrange for a starting layout, then drag branches into place and save a named layout.
Invite relatives who used to see the tree on MyHeritage. Trees on Generation Archives are private by default and visible only to you and people you invite.

Keep both for a while

You do not have to delete your MyHeritage tree. Many people keep it as a research workspace and use Generation Archives for the family-facing version. If you do, remember that changes in one will not appear in the other. Decide which is the master copy, and re-export when it changes. How to back up a family tree has a simple routine.

Who should stay on MyHeritage

Stay if you rely on its Smart Matches or record matches to find new relatives, if you have a DNA kit on the site, or if you are within the free limit and happy with the tools. There is no reason to move a working research tree. The most useful reason to move is to give the family a free, private place to look at the people and photos they already know, without a paid plan.

For a wider look at free options, see free family tree websites compared.

Frequently asked questions

Is Generation Archives a replacement for MyHeritage?

Not for research. Generation Archives has no historical records, DNA, or matching. It is a free place to keep and arrange a family tree with photos and stories, and many people use it alongside a research site.

Is there a limit on how many people my tree can have?

Generation Archives is free to use, and there is no paid plan that unlocks more people. The only paid part is media hosting beyond the free upload credit. MyHeritage's free Basic site allows up to 250 people, and larger trees need a paid plan.

Can I bring my MyHeritage tree into Generation Archives?

Yes. Export a GEDCOM file from MyHeritage and import it. People and relationships come across. Photos don't travel in GEDCOM, so you add them afterwards. The longer checklist above and how to import a GEDCOM cover what to check after.

Will my Smart Matches and DNA results come with me?

No. Matches and DNA results are features of the MyHeritage service and are not part of a GEDCOM file. They stay on MyHeritage.

Should I delete my MyHeritage tree after I move?

Not until you are sure the new tree is complete, and not unless you are finished with the service. Keep the exported .ged file and your original photos as a backup either way.

Is the free MyHeritage plan enough for a family archive?

It can be, for a small tree. The Basic limits are 250 people and 500 MB, so a large family or a photo-heavy one will reach them. Check MyHeritage's help pages for current limits.

Who can see my tree on Generation Archives?

By default, only you and the relatives you invite. You can make a tree public with a share link if you want to.

Try the demo Sample tree Create a free account

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