Every European genealogy software tool reviewed
The Hague, Netherlands
Basis free; Plus EUR 52 per year (EUR 4.33 per month), cancellable at any time. Payment by iDEAL, Bancontact, credit card or PayPal.
Demo on request
Best for: Dutch and Belgian family researchers who want to publish a tree and compare it with other published trees
Genealogie Online is a Dutch website where researchers publish family trees and read trees published by others. The operator is Coret Genealogie, whose disclaimer names a chamber of commerce number and a seat in The Hague. The homepage counts 13 thousand publications, 90.4 million persons and 1.5 million images, so clues come from a large pool of user trees.
Genealogie Online charges nothing for the Basis plan, which publishes one tree with up to three startpoints and 250 photos and documents. Plus costs EUR 52 per year, can be cancelled at any time and leaves your data stored. Living persons are not published without consent, with an access gate for named visitors. The interface comes in four languages, but the hosting country is not stated.
What Genealogie Online does well
- Free Basis plan with online publication
- Public price of EUR 52 per year for Plus
- Cancellable at any time, data stays stored
- Interface in four languages
- Named legal entity with a KvK number
Where Genealogie Online falls short
- Focus on Dutch and Belgian material
- No DNA test
- Hosting location not stated on the pages we read
- Trees come from other users, so clues need checking
Standout feature. Genealogie Online publishes a free tree in the browser and compares it against 90.4 million persons from other users.
Cergy, France
Free for ever up to 50 persons per tree (15 days of Prestige included); classic licence EUR 29 (up to 500 persons per tree); prestige licence EUR 109 (unlimited persons, mobile app). Perpetual licences, subject to operating system compatibility.
Demo on request
Best for: French-speaking genealogists who want a desktop program with a permanent free version
Généatique is a family tree program from CDIP, a French publisher of personal software at Cergy. The screen keeps the tree visible above the entry form, and the program adds an INSEE name search and AI tools that run on monthly credits. The free version keeps every function for trees up to 50 persons, with no time limit.
Two licences follow the free tier. The classic licence costs EUR 29 for up to 500 persons per tree, and the prestige licence costs EUR 109 for unlimited persons plus the mobile app. Both are perpetual, subject to operating system compatibility. Trees can be published on Geneatique.net, but no hosting country is stated, and the documentation is in French.
What Généatique does well
- Permanent free version up to 50 persons
- One-time licences at EUR 29 and EUR 109
- Windows, Mac and Linux
- Mobile app included in prestige
- Named French publisher with address
Where Généatique falls short
- Documentation and focus are French
- Free version capped at 50 persons per tree
- Hosting of Geneatique.net not stated
- No DNA matching
Standout feature. Généatique keeps a free version available permanently, then offers perpetual licences at EUR 29 and EUR 109.
Marnes-la-Coquette, France
Free for life, including updates. Funded by donations and membership.
Demo on request
Best for: Researchers who want full control of their data in a plain GEDCOM file and no subscription
Ancestris is genealogy software written by volunteers and published by Association Ancestris, a French association under the law of 1 July 1901 with its seat at Marnes-la-Coquette. Version 13 has been stable since December 2025, and a daily build of version 14 can be downloaded. The program asks for Java on Windows, macOS or Linux.
Ancestris saves the whole tree as a GEDCOM file on your computer, which keeps the data portable. More than 30 tools include a dynamic tree, a geographic view, a chronological view, duplicate detection, merging and Sosa-Daboville numbering. Persons, families and trees are unlimited. Support comes from a volunteer forum, and the program has no cloud sync, hints or record search.
What Ancestris does well
- Free for life, updates included
- Open-source licence
- Unlimited persons, families and trees
- Data in a plain GEDCOM file
- Windows, macOS and Linux
Where Ancestris falls short
- Needs Java
- No hints, no DNA, no records
- Volunteer support only
- No cloud sync
Standout feature. Ancestris is free for life under the GNU General Public License, with updates delivered inside the program.
Gouda, Netherlands
Search is free; a subscription option is mentioned on the site, no price shown on the pages we read.
Demo on request
Best for: Researchers who need civil and church records from Dutch and Belgian archives
Open Archives is a search site for genealogical records held by open archives and historical societies. Coret Genealogie operates it, and the disclaimer gives Gouda as the seat. The homepage counts 371 million individual entries covering persons, transcriptions and prayer cards, mainly from the Netherlands and Belgium.
Open Archives accepts exact phrases, name parts and wildcards such as K*sper for Kysper and Keijsper. Related documents are linked automatically to a person, and overviews show common surnames, places and occupations. The site cannot edit a tree, and its menu mentions a subscription without a price. One search timed out during our check because the site was busy.
What Open Archives does well
- Free record search
- 371 million entries
- Linked documents found automatically
- Wildcard and name-part search
- Four interface languages
Where Open Archives falls short
- Mainly Dutch and Belgian archives
- No tree editor
- Subscription price not shown
- A search timed out during our check
Standout feature. Open Archives links related documents to a person automatically across 371 million entries, with search free of charge.
Montpellier, France
English page shows Windows $39.99, Mac $69.99, upgrade from $29.99; free demo limited to 50 persons. Footnote text on prices was not fully shown.
Demo on request
Best for: Users who want one program on Mac, PC, phone and tablet and who can read French or English
Heredis is family tree software from the HEREDIS company in Montpellier, listed under RCS B 393 616 008. The vendor dates the product to 1994 and claims 200,000 users each day, a figure we did not verify. Versions exist for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, with Heredis 2027 as the current release.
The English page shows Windows at $39.99, Mac at $69.99 and upgrades from $29.99, all in dollars, and the free demo stops at 50 persons. Heredis does not own records, so its searches reach FamilySearch and web search engines. The Heredis Online terms follow French law with French courts, but the hosting country is not stated beyond the company address.
What Heredis does well
- Windows, Mac, iOS and Android
- Free demo with 50 persons
- Named French company with register number
- GEDCOM import from any program
- Online publishing option
Where Heredis falls short
- Prices shown in dollars on the English page
- No record collection
- No DNA test
- Free demo capped at 50 persons
Standout feature. Heredis is the only tree program here with versions for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android sold by one French company.
London, United Kingdom
EUR 6.74 per month, EUR 32.80 per year, or EUR 71.33 outright (perpetual licence for version 8). Education from EUR 16.41 per year per user, business from EUR 32.80 per year per user (inc. VAT).
Demo on request
Best for: UK-minded Windows users who want a program with a plugin ecosystem and a perpetual licence
Family Historian is genealogy software written by Calico Pie Limited, which says on its About page that Simon Orde founded it in London in 1995. The program runs on Windows and stores the tree on your PC. Version 8 adds Smart Folders, described by the vendor as a genealogy world first.
Three purchase routes are shown in euros: EUR 6.74 per month, EUR 32.80 per year or EUR 71.33 outright, where major releases are bought separately. Education starts at EUR 16.41 per year per user. A 30-day trial, a plugin store and a user group come with it. Calico Pie is British, so UK law applies and no hosted tree or DNA is offered.
What Family Historian does well
- 30-day free trial
- Perpetual licence available
- Public prices in euros on the store page
- Plugin store and user group
- Named UK company with address
Where Family Historian falls short
- Windows only
- Major releases bought separately with perpetual licence
- No hosted tree or DNA
- UK entity is outside the EU
Standout feature. Family Historian ships a plugin store and user group around a Windows program that you can buy outright for EUR 71.33.
Mainz, Germany
New customer US$ 34.99 (list US$ 69.99), upgrade US$ 24.99, during a time-limited 50 per cent offer; MobileFamilyTree sold separately.
Demo on request
Best for: Apple users who want visual views of a family tree and sync between Mac, iPhone and iPad
MacFamilyTree is a Mac genealogy program from Synium Software GmbH in Mainz, entered as HRB 40072 at Amtsgericht Mainz. Version 11 needs macOS 12 or later and is tuned for Apple Silicon. MobileFamilyTree, sold separately, covers the iPhone and iPad.
The editor shows a Virtual Globe, an interactive tree and a 3D Virtual Tree, and it produces books, reports and websites. Old family photos can be colourised and repaired. CloudTree Sync and Share lets unlimited users edit one tree in real time at no additional cost, though hosting is not detailed. The price appears in dollars: US$ 34.99 for new customers in a time-limited offer.
What MacFamilyTree does well
- Virtual Globe and 3D tree views
- Real-time CloudTree Sync and Share
- Handelsregister entry and imprint published
- Photo colourising and repair
- Demo and full version download
Where MacFamilyTree falls short
- Apple devices only
- Prices in US dollars
- MobileFamilyTree sold separately
- CloudTree hosting not detailed
Standout feature. MacFamilyTree shows a family tree as a Virtual Globe and a 3D tree, with shared editing through CloudTree.
Stuttgart, Germany
Access passes for a month or a full year, not renewed automatically; no price shown on the pages we read.
Demo on request
Best for: Researchers with German ancestors who need original church book entries
Archion is a portal for digitised church books run by Kirchenbuchportal GmbH in Stuttgart, HRB 746037 at Amtsgericht Stuttgart. The imprint names Judith Sutter as managing director and Christina Neuß as chair of the supervisory board. Partner archives supply images of baptism, marriage and burial books, and new records are added daily according to the vendor.
Millions of pages carry a transcription, and for pages without one a user can start text recognition and read the result minutes later. Access passes run for a month or a year, expire after that period and do not renew automatically. Prices are not shown on the pages we read. A free example from an archive is available, and the interface is in German and English.
What Archion does well
- Original church book images
- Text recognition on demand
- Passes do not renew automatically
- Free example available
- Imprint with register number
Where Archion falls short
- Church books only
- Prices not shown on the pages we read
- No tree editor
- Hosting country not stated
Standout feature. Archion lets a user start text recognition on an original church book page and read the result a few minutes later.
Sanary-sur-Mer, France
Managed container from EUR 19,90 per month excl. VAT (Standard), EUR 39,90 (Performance), EUR 79,90 (Intensive); managed VPS from EUR 28,70; self-managed Docker VPS from EUR 11,00 excl. VAT.
Demo on request
Best for: Families who want a collaborative web tree on open-source software with French hosting and no server work
Gramps Web hosted by DINAO is the Gramps genealogy web application, run as a managed service by DINAO SARL in Sanary-sur-Mer, RCS Toulon 448 091 181. DINAO states that the tree, photos and archives stay on its French servers, in datacenters at Marseille and Sophia Antipolis. The application imports GEDCOM and Gramps XML.
The Standard container costs EUR 19,90 per month excluding VAT with 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 40 GB NVMe, and daily backups are included. Performance is EUR 39,90 and Intensive is EUR 79,90. A managed VPS starts at EUR 28,70, and a self-managed Docker VPS at EUR 11,00. The managed container is shared and gives no administrator access.
What Gramps Web hosted by DINAO does well
- Hosting in France stated by the vendor
- Open-source application
- Daily backups in the managed container
- GEDCOM and Gramps XML import
- Prices published per tier
Where Gramps Web hosted by DINAO falls short
- Monthly hosting fee from EUR 19,90
- No admin access in the managed container
- No records, hints or DNA test
- Hosting company, not a genealogy publisher
Standout feature. Gramps Web hosted by DINAO is the only hosted tree here with a vendor statement of French hosting and published price tiers.
Munich, Germany
Der Stammbaum 10 Premium: EUR 59.90 DVD-ROM, EUR 49.90 download, incl. VAT, shipping extra for DVD. A free demo of version 10 is offered.
Demo on request
Best for: German-speaking users who want a one-time purchase and printed reports
Der Stammbaum is genealogy software published by United Soft Media Verlag GmbH, whose imprint gives Thomas-Wimmer-Ring 11 in Munich and HR B 49 504 at Amtsgericht München. Version 10 Premium costs EUR 59.90 on DVD-ROM with a printed German manual, or EUR 49.90 as a download, with VAT included and shipping extra.
The program records photos, documents, audio and video clips, plus sources and witnesses per event. A plausibility check and GEDCOM import are included, and Premium adds PDF presentations up to DIN A0 and a companion app. The listed requirements run from Windows 7 to 10, activation is needed, and the app uploads images through a cloud server that is not located.
What Der Stammbaum does well
- One-time purchase with public price
- Free demo of version 10
- GEDCOM import
- German, English and French versions
- Named Munich publisher with register number
Where Der Stammbaum falls short
- Windows only
- System requirements stop at Windows 10
- Program activation required
- Cloud server for the app not located
Standout feature. Der Stammbaum Premium prints PDF presentations up to DIN A0 and is still sold as a DVD-ROM with a printed manual.
Hamburg, Germany
Licence key bought separately; price not shown on the pages we read. Demo is limited (about 50 persons for editing); version 2.99 is stated to be free and unrestricted.
Demo on request
Best for: Windows users who want a simple German-made tree program that can run from a USB stick
Ahnenblatt is a Windows genealogy program, and the imprint names Dirk Böttcher of Hamburg as the individual operating the website. Version 5 became available on 2 October 2026 and version 5.02 followed on 27 October 2026, so the program is under active development. Ahnenblatt also runs from a USB stick without installation.
The full version places no limit on persons, marriages or partners. Charts cover ancestors, descendants and an hourglass view, logic checks catch errors such as a marriage after a death, and Unicode keeps Cyrillic names intact. GEDCOM and GEDCOM 7 are supported. The licence price is not shown on the pages we read, and the demo limits editing to about 50 persons.
What Ahnenblatt does well
- No limit on persons in the full version
- Portable USB version
- GEDCOM 7 information page
- Unicode for non-Latin names
- Active releases (5.02 on 27 October 2026)
Where Ahnenblatt falls short
- Licence price not shown
- Windows only
- One-person project
- Demo limits editing size
Standout feature. Ahnenblatt is a German program that runs without installation from a USB stick and handles Unicode names.
Frome, United Kingdom
Your Ancestry EUR 80 + shipping; Your Ancestry & Neanderthal EUR 85 + shipping; Your Ancestry & Wellbeing EUR 165 + shipping; shipping from EUR 24.95.
Demo on request
Best for: People who want an ancestry DNA test from a UK company, to complement a family tree
Living DNA is a DNA ancestry service from Living DNA Ltd, registered in England and Wales under number 10221519 with its office in Frome. The company describes itself as privately owned. Living DNA sells test kits and does not offer a family tree editor or record collection, so it pairs with one of the tree programs in this list.
Your Ancestry costs EUR 80 plus shipping, Your Ancestry and Neanderthal costs EUR 85, and Your Ancestry and Wellbeing costs EUR 165, with shipping from EUR 24.95. Results appear in an online account after six to eight weeks. DNA from other tests can be uploaded for free. English law governs the contract, and the size of the matching database is not stated.
What Living DNA does well
- Prices shown in euros
- Free upload of DNA from other tests
- Kit tracking and online results
- Named company with register number
- Wellbeing option
Where Living DNA falls short
- No tree or record collection
- Matching database size not stated
- Hosting not located
- Results take six to eight weeks
Standout feature. Living DNA accepts a free upload of DNA data from other tests and is the only DNA kit among the twelve tools.
