Family Tree Builder

by MyHeritage Ltd. (Gilad Japhet)
Intuitive, easy to use software that includes features such as smart matching technology, chart designs, smart research, consistency checking and online family tree publishing among others. It supports 36 languages and dual language input.

Family Tree Maker - Current Version

by Ancestry.com
The current version of Family Tree Maker is followed by its release year, e.g. 2012. It was completely rewritten in 2008 and is very different than its previous incarnation. There is also a Mac version. They have a Family Tree Maker category in their blog. Use this entry to review the current version, and use the FTM Up To Version 16 entry to review the versions prior to the rewrite.

Brother’s Keeper

by John Steed
The most respected and successful shareware genealogical program. Has been around a long time and has many dedicated users.

The Next Generation (TNG)

by Darrin Lythgoe
Produces really nice looking dynamically creating web pages from information stored in mySQL database tables using PHP scripting on the Web site.

Adam: The GEDCOM Family Tree Builder

by Tim Forsythe
Aa free web service to build your family tree from a GEDCOM file. Your family tree, once built, will be compressed and presented as a ip file, which can be downloaded, extracted and then uploaded to your favorite hosting service or viewed independently.

Ahnenblatt

by Dirk Böttcher
A free and easy-to-use genealogy software for Windows. It is available in several languages (English, German, French, Spanish and more). It also has a website in German and a Portal in German.  Can run as a portable application on a USB stick.

Family History System

by Phillip Brown
A program with a well laid out and very unique “Relative Report”. It started out as a DOS program in the 1990’s and recently has been converted to Windows. There is a free version plus an extended version.

GenealogyJ

by Nils Meier
A full-featured standalone Java application that can handle all of your genealogic information (GEDCOM compliant). It provides different graphical components for working on your Family Tree. This is an Open Source project and is free. This is where you go to help with the development of GenealogyJ. It is written in the language Java.

RootsMagic

by RootsMagic, Inc. (Bruce Buzbee)
A program from the developer of the very popular and well-liked Family Origins. This program is even better. Complete and easy to use with extensive reports. There is a free version called RootsMagic Essentials. There is a free app for iOS. It has some active user groups. They also have a blog.

Reunion

by Leister Productions, Inc.
Reunion is one of the easiest-to-use programs with superb charting capabilities and many features. Only available for the Macintosh.

Family Historian

by Calico Pie (Simon Orde)
A new kind of family tree program with a design with strengths in its user interface, use of GEDCOM, graphics and picture handling. See their Design Goals & Philosophy page to see their ideas. It has a User Group.

Geni

by Geni, Inc. (David Sacks, Alan Braverman)
Allows families to collaboratively build their family tree. When the user adds a relative’s email address, that relative is invited to join the tree. Your family’s information is kept private as you can only search for people who are in your family. When separate trees begin to overlap, they can be merged, with the potential of producing a world family tree.

WikiTree

by Chris Whitten
The Worldwide Family Tree Wiki. Unlike many wikis the content is not completely open and public. Copyrights are kept by the contributors. Content is kept private through a unique “Trusted List” system that enables you to select the individuals you want to collaborate with and the specific content you want to share with them. This flexible system means everyone can be on one worldwide family tree but privacy isn’t sacrificed. Gedcom import is supported.

WikiTree is free but new members must be invited by a family member or fellow genealogist and must understand the Honor Code and mission before contributing.

Genebase Bionet Builder

by GeneBase Systems
Allows you to create a family tree network, to link with and communicate with your relatives. Designed to help document the lives of your ancestors.

TribalPages

by TribalPages.com
A free online Genealogy service dedicated to creating your Family Tree website effortlessly and quickly. Very nice looking with many features plus a Forum.

Gramps

by Don Allingham
A GNOME genealogy program for Linux and FreeBSD and Mac OS X and Windows that allows you to easily build and keep track of your family tree. This is an Open Source project and is free. This is where you go to help with the development of GRAMPS. It is written in the language Python. The GRAMPS project has a blog. See also Gramps Portable.

Pandora’s Hope Chest

by Pandora’s Hope (Eric Vance)
A Google Chrome browser extension that helps users of the FamilySearch.org website by searching your family tree and collecting Temple work that is ready to request.

Family Tree Maker for Mac

by The Generations Network
This is the Mac version of Family Tree Maker. It includes a Windows-based conversion tool to allow you to import files from Family Tree Maker 2008 or newer.

Family Tree Maker - Up To Version 16

by Ancestry.com
The number one selling genealogy program of all time. Produces a wide variety of reports and charts. This entry is for Family Tree Maker as it existed up to Version 16, which was then rewritten entirely in 2008. Because the versions are so different, please use this entry for the older versions and use the FTM - Current Version to review the newer versions.

FastFilm

by J. Bejaran
A program to speed up the process of downloading records from Family Search. It is a free Java program that works on Windows, Mac and Linux.