Tuesday, February 7th
2023 Genealogy Service Reviews
Ancestry
- "A+" Better Business Bureau rating
- Over 100 million family trees
- World's largest collection of family history records
- 14-day free trial
- 2 million records added daily
In the world of genealogy, Ancestry is one of the most well-known and widely-respected names in the game. They are based in Lehi, Utah and are the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world. Ancestry has invested over $300 million to build the world's largest collection of family history records. Their purpose is to provide individuals with a deeper understanding of who they are, to strengthen their identity and sense of belonging.
Get started with what you know
There are over 27 billion records to be discovered through Ancestry. To get started on their platform, you simply add what you know about yourself and immediate family members and you'll get connected to ancestors and information about your family that matches the details you provide. Small leaf icons will appear as you go through information, alerting you that there is information about one of your ancestors for you to discover. Hints do all of the searching for you and continue to come as you grow your family tree. Over 2 million records are added to Ancestry daily, so the possibilities for learning about your heritage are nearly endless.
Free learning hub
You can view your family tree or create a new one at any time. Ancestry has a free family history learning hub that goes over Genealogy 101, provides information about all types of vital records, and gives an overview of historic events like The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, and RMS Titanic. You can learn about immigration and the census records in different years to give added perspective to your family history work.
Intuitive website
You can search through Ancestry's 27+ billion records at any time by inputting information you have including names, birthdays, keywords, nationality, and other relevant details. The platform is intuitive and makes it easy to gain fast access to a wealth of information about your family. Whether you're familiar with genealogical work or not, you'll be able to easily use Ancestry and be inspired by what you learn.
Free trial
Ancestry offers a 14-day free trial to give you a feel for how their platform works, how many records they have available, and what features you can use. This is a great way to decide whether or not to commit to a subscription of their product. There are three membership options to choose from:
- U.S. Discovery: ($24.99 monthly or $16.50/month with a 6-month membership)
- Access to all U.S. records on Ancestry
- Preserve and share your family tree online
- World Explorer: ($39.99 monthly or $25.83/month with a 6-month membership)
- Access to all U.S. and international records on Ancestry
- Preserve and share your family tree online
- All Access: ($49.99 monthly or $33.16/month with a 6-month membership)
- Access to all U.S. and international records on Ancestry
- Preserve and share your family tree online
- Basic membership to newspapers.com
- Explore over 537 million records on Fold3, a historical military records website
Cancel anytime
If you want to cancel your membership with Ancestry, you can do so at any time. If you cancel before the end of your 6-month subscription, a $25 fee may apply. The best option is to cancel at least 2 days before your renewal date through your account settings to avoid any fees. Unless you delete your family trees, they will remain on Ancestry's site whether you have a membership or not. If you delete your account, all information related to your account, including family trees you created will be irreversibly erased.
DNA kit from the comfort of home
In addition to genealogical records, Ancestry also offers DNA testing to give you insight about your ethnic heritage and what parts of the world your ancestors lived. For $99, Ancestry will send you a DNA kit that includes a vile for saliva testing to be mailed back to them. For $119 you can get additional information about personal traits that your genes could influence (heart recovery, lactose intolerance, vitamin D, endurance fitness, etc.). Ancestry's DNA kits come with a lot of detailed information and are a popular purchase for individuals as well as a great gift idea.
Top of the line genealogy service
Ancestry has earned our highest rating for genealogy sites because frankly, although there are other useful and impressive genealogy services, they can't yet compete with Ancestry. The Better Business Bureau gives Ancestry an "A+" rating and users throughout the world generally have good things about the usability of the site, vast amount of content, and reliable customer service. If you're interested in genealogy, get started with their free trial right away to see what Ancestry has to offer.
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The 8 Best Genealogy Services
What is the Best Genealogy Service?
Throughout all of time, people have had a deep personal interest in knowing where they came from. Our family, culture, and geography shape who we are, so it provides a unique perspective about ourselves when we are able to trace our ancestors and learn more about the people who came before us. Studying family history has rapidly grown into one of the most popular pastimes for people in the United States.
It hasn't always been simple to trace our roots. In the past, researching a family tree was a lengthy, often painstaking process. Rather than quickly jumping online and doing a few searches, you would have to track down hard copies of vital documents, which often cost as much as $20 each from government agencies.
Genealogy Service FAQ
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People would travel far to find gravesites of family members to gather what local information they could, read through old journals, and put in hours worth of phone calls to try to connect the dots. Oftentimes language barriers, hard-to-read handwriting on old documents, or distance led genealogical enthusiasts to a dead end.
Thanks to the people who laid the groundwork for genealogy the hard way, online platforms have been created to compile everyone's histories into a simple, searchable database. Since these services have launched, it has opened doors for billions of people to find lost family members and learn about their ancestors. It's never been easier to dive into your genealogy. Some services offer a look into your lineage with just a vial of saliva or swab of the cheek through DNA testing.
As you browse different genealogy services, there are some important things to keep in mind:
- Features. Are you able to create your own family tree on the website? Can other researchers have access to the family tree to add relevant information? Does the platform allow you to upload photos, documents, stories, and other personal details for individuals on the family tree? How about DNA matches with potential blood relatives?
- Variety of information. What types of records will you be able to obtain from the genealogy service? Do they have government records (birth and death certificates) as well as published information from news sources submitted by other users? What unique information do they offer that you aren't able to find for free online?
- Cost. What is the cost to access records on your family tree? Do you pay a one-time fee, or does the service require an ongoing subscription? Are you able to get discounts if you use it long-term?
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best genealogy services available online. We hope this information helps you learn more about yourself, reconnect with estranged loved ones, and be inspired by those who came before you.
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