Open Archives
Free search engine for Dutch and Belgian genealogical records from Coret Genealogie
At a glance
| Company | Coret Genealogie |
|---|---|
| Category | Genealogy Software |
| Headquarters | Gouda, Netherlands |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Netherlands (EU) |
| Data Location | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Search by name across archives, transcriptions, prayer cards, automatic links between related documents, advanced search within collections, surname, place and occupation overviews, wildcard search |
| Pricing | Search is free; a subscription option is mentioned on the site, no price shown on the pages we read. |
| Best For | Researchers who need civil and church records from Dutch and Belgian archives |
| Replaces | Ancestry (record search) |
Full review
Open Archives is a search site for the genealogical records of open archives and historical societies. Its disclaimer states that it is a website of Coret Genealogy, Chamber of Commerce number 50518607, located in Gouda. The homepage counts 371 million individual entries.
Open Archives answers the part of Ancestry that many European researchers use most: finding the birth, marriage and death records of their ancestors. It does this for Dutch and Belgian archives and for historical societies.
What can you search in Open Archives?
Open Archives searches persons, transcriptions and prayer cards. The search accepts exact phrases, name parts and wildcards, for example K*sper to find Kysper and Keijsper.
Open Archives automatically finds linked documents and additional information for a person. It also lets you explore archives, source types and places, and lists the most common surnames, places and occupations.
What does Open Archives cost?
Searching Open Archives is free; Genealogie Online says free search is possible on Open Archives. A subscription is mentioned in the site menu, but no price appears on the pages we read.
The same company runs Genealogie Online, where Plus costs EUR 52 per year. Stacking discounts across Coret products are described there.
Where is Open Archives weaker than Ancestry?
Open Archives covers archives that publish their data openly, mainly Dutch and Belgian. It does not hold census images or immigration lists from outside that region.
Open Archives does not edit family trees, so it works as a research partner for tree software. During our check a search timed out because the site was busy.
Known limits
Open Archives is limited to participating archives, mainly Dutch and Belgian, with no tree editor and no DNA service. The address in the Open Archives disclaimer (Gouda) differs from that in the Genealogie Online disclaimer (The Hague), which we could not reconcile. Trees can be kept in Genealogie Online.
Best suited to users of Open Archives
Researchers tracing Dutch and Belgian ancestors who want to search records without a subscription.
What works, what does not
Pros
- Free record search
- 371 million entries
- Linked documents found automatically
- Wildcard and name-part search
- Four interface languages
Cons
- Mainly Dutch and Belgian archives
- No tree editor
- Subscription price not shown
- A search timed out during our check
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free record search
- 371 million entries
- Linked documents found automatically
- Wildcard and name-part search
- Four interface languages
Cons
- Mainly Dutch and Belgian archives
- No tree editor
- Subscription price not shown
- A search timed out during our check
Alternatives to Open Archives
More European genealogy software you can weigh against it:
See all European genealogy software or compare them directly against Ancestry (record search) on our alternatives page.
Questions buyers ask
Searching Open Archives is free. A subscription option appears in the menu, but no price is shown on the pages we read.
Open Archives is a website of Coret Genealogie, Chamber of Commerce number 50518607, located in Gouda according to its disclaimer.
Open Archives replaces record search for Dutch and Belgian ancestors. It has no tree editor and no records from outside the participating archives.