Comparison of Internet Genealogy Sites

Popularity

webservice	Annual fee	Registered Users	quantcast Est. Month US Uniques (1000)	quantcast Rank	trafficestimate over 30 days (1000)	Alexa Rank	Alexa Main Userbase	Userbase	HQ
rootsweb			2,948.1	515	1,147.0	4527	45%	US	USA, UT, Provo, The Generations Network
ancestry	12.95$-34.95$ p.m.		2,340.3	708	1,378.8	3587	63%	US	USA, UT, Provo, The Generations Network
genealogy			1,066.0	2056	430.6	17018	52%	US	USA, UT, Provo, The Generations Network
myfamily	29.95$-109.95$		589.4	3980	704.0	8937	78%	US	USA, UT, Provo, The Generations Network
myheritage	free-9.95$		498.2	4711	1,667.3	2651	11%	US	Israel, Bnei Atarot,
geni	free	750,000	70.2	26650	528.5	13287	32%	US	USA, CA, West Hollywood
familylink			22.5	70664	73.4	188478	30%	US	USA, UT, Provo
ourstory			15.2	97332	85.0	142094	53%	US	USA, CA, Mountain View
werelate			7.9	166248	26.0	574109	60%	US	USA, NC, Cary
thegenerationsnetwork			20.7	75679	20.2	694610	66%	US	Canada
famster			.4	2932181	31.7	478820	44%	US	USA, CA, Whittier
verwandt	free		.8	1342179	304.0	30954	82%	Germany	Germany, Hamburg
amiglia			.4	2150951	4.4	1108015	25%	US	USA, NY, New York
zooof	free		.4	3637222	36.0	426143	53%	Netherlands	Netherlands, Amsterdam
genoom	free		.4	2542324	131.8	132994	22%	Ecuador	Spain, Barcelona
famillion			.8	1572718	41.1	330938	33%	Israel
famiva			.4	2952218	41.5	333879	42%	Australia
LinkedIn	free	16,000,000	2,840.9	545	12,174,0	183	50%	US	USA, CA, Palo Alto
Facebook	free	73,500,000	30,219.5	18	132,730.0	7	25%	US	USA, CA, Palo Alto

Recording

			roots web	an cest ry	gene alo gy	my fami ly	my heri tage	geni	fami ly link	our sto ry	we re late	the ge nerations network	fam ster	ver wandt	ami glia	zo oof	ge noom	fa mil lion	fa mi va
Names
Name		Identifyer of an individual.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Identify name components		Various name components can indicate a number of a persons attributes, such as spouses family name, an indication of marital status, a religious name, etc.						Yes
Identify sort component		Normally sorted on the surname. A different sort order may be desired.						No
Nickname (aka)		A familiar or humorous name given an individual. An "also known as". Not to be confused with alternate name						Yes
Alternate name (single)		Any documented name variation. Might be an Anglicized name in the case of an immigrant, a former name that has been legally changed for any reason, or a name provided by the community to differentiate between individuals						No
Alternate names, (multiple)		Option to document all alternate names. It is not unusual to find individuals having used multiple names during their lifetime						No
Address field		Current address or last known address for individual						Yes
Former address		Individual's previous address. Should indicate years of tenancy						No
E-mail address		E-mail address and the date it was recorded						Yes
Web address		Individual's web page URL with last date visited						Yes
Webservices, multiple		Facebook, chat etc						Yes
Phone numbers		Current phone numbers						Yes
Reference numbers fields		Social security number, a military ID number, employee ID number etc.						No
Citation	Source	A source can be provided for each name						No
Citation	Surety indicator	Confidence indication in information provided by the source						No
Note, re name		A note field for additional background information on name						No
Dates
Optional date formats		Option of selecting the date format to be displayed on screen and in reports						No
Calendars	Gregorian	Common calendar used in the Western world						Yes
	Julian	Used from the Roman Empire until 1582						No
	Hebrew							No
	French Republican							No
	Chinese							No
	Islamic							No
	Other							No
Date qualifiers		The common date qualifiers are before, after, between, circa						No
Date ranges		Option of recording an ongoing action. Usually from/to						No
Date, relative to known event		The option to record a date as relative to a known event. e.g. The child's birth occurred a few weeks after the big flood of 96.						No
Set sort dates (event order)		The program supplies sort dates for those events without precise dates or allows user to set event order.						No
Note, re date		A free form text field for any notes pertaining to the date.						No
Locations
Location name as found		The location name as found in the evidence.						No
Current location name		The current name of the location if different from that found in the evidence.						Yes
Identify location name components		Option allowing the user to identify the political divisions that identify the location. These divisions can vary from country to country and from one time period to another.						Yes
Location former name(s)		Fields provided to identify all previous names for a location.						No
Date range for previous name(s)		The time frame during which each location name was used.						No
Latitude & longitude		The most accurate method for defining a locations position.						No
Locality events	by type	Every location has a history. The events comprising that history can be vital to data analysis. These events can be defined by type in a manner similar to that of individual events						No
	by name	The name assigned to the local event						No
	with description	A description of the local event						No
Locality	characteristics	The characteristics to be recorded include ethnic makeup, local customs, economic status, local bylaws, etc.						No
Locality	images	Images of the locality.						No
Citation	Source	A source can be provided for locality events and attributes						No
Citation	Surety indicator	Confidence indication in information provided by the source						No
Note, re location		A free form text field for a location note.						No
Events
Events	unlimited (user defined)	User can record any number of events						Yes
	event type	User defined event type						No
	event name	User defined event name						Yes
	event description	User defined event description.						Yes
Multiple occurrences of event		Permits the recording of all evidence found for any specific event. e.g. multiple documents confirming a birthdate.						Yes
Conflicting events		Conflicting evidence for the same event can be recorded						No
Indicate assertion	preferred event	Selecting which one of a series of duplicate events has been determined to be the more accurate.						No
Indicate assertion	argumentation field	A free form text field for stating the reasoning for the assertion						No
Individual role in event		Events must have a participant even if it is only as a witness. This feature allows the individual's participation in an event to be stated more precisely than just as a witness.						No
Privatize event option		Marking an event as restricted and not to be included in any publication						No
Citation	Source	A source can be provided for each event						No
Citation	Surety indicator	Confidence indication in information provided by the source						No
Note, re event		A note field linked directly to the event						No
Genetic
Physical desc.(specific phenotypes)		Simple physical description of an individual, height, weight, skin, hair and eye color,						Yes
Phenotypes (supplied list)		Listing of known phenotypes, both genetic and environmental e.g. Cleft chin, hair lip, tattoo, etc.						No
Cause of death		Self explanatory						No
Medical condition(not genetic/phenotype)		Any known medical problems						No
DNA locus, value,	10-19 marker	The number of markers will vary according to the testing company used.						No
	20-29 marker	The number of markers will vary according to the testing company used.						No
	30 + marker	The number of markers will vary according to the testing company used.						No
	other	The number of markers will vary according to the testing company used.						No
Mitochondrial data		This data records the mother's mitochondrial DNA. Usually one location but two locations can be tested.						No
Haplogroup data		A coded series of letters identifying the origin of the individual's forefathers.						No
Note, medical		A general free form note field linked to the medical field.						No
Groups
Multiple marriage support		Ability to record at least two marriages						Yes
Track multiple parent sets		Can track adoptive parents as well as blood relationships, surrogate parentage, insemination by donors, etc.						No
Unconventional relationships		Can define the relationship between two persons as something other than marriage.						Yes
Show relationship between individuals		Program can display relationship to a user defined person on the data entry screens.						No
Set children birth order		Set children's birth order in absence of accurate dates.						Yes
Group memberships	group description	A free form text field for defining the group's purposes.						No
Group memberships	roles in group	Identify the individual's role within the group.						No
Record citation	Source	A source can be provided for relationship						No
Record citation	Surety indicator	Confidence indication in information provided by the source						No
Links
Link exhibit(s)	image	Link image to (names, locations, events, attributes, groups, sources)						Yes
	audio file	Link audio file to an exhibit						No
	video file	Link video file to an exhibit						No
	object	Link object to an exhibit						No
Embed exhibit(s)	image	Embed image in the database.						Yes
	audio file	Embed audio file in the database.						No
	video file	Embed video file in the database.						No
	object	Embed object in the database.						No
Link names to events		This option pertains to the linkage of alternate names to specific events.						No
Link name to sources		The provision of the linkage of a source to the name information.						No
Link witnesses to events		The linkage of any persons that had any role in an event to the event's principal						No
Link to planning module		The linkage of an individual's research notes to a planning module						No

Report

			geni
Charts
Basic options(# generations)		Limit the number of generations to be displayed	Yes
Ancestor	Direct line chart/ blood relations	The direct line chart will display the direct ancestors of a selected individual. It may also appear as a chart of blood relatives	Yes
Descendant	indented	This chart, or report, lists the progenitor with his spouse slightly indented. Each succeeding generation is indented by a defined space	No
Descendant	convergence	Allows the user to identify the progenitors of several lines of descent that will eventually merge. This chart can be very useful when trying to visualize those situations where several lines merge at several points in time.	No
Timeline chart/report/display	select individuals	The ability to select individuals allows the user to compare only persons of interest rather than the entire database	No
Timeline chart/report/display	compare individuals	The compare feature usually displays only two persons and will also mark the time of important events in each persons life	No
Timeline events	supplied	Supplied events allow the user to relate an individual's life with well known historical events	No
Timeline events	custom	Custom timeline events are those events supplied by the user in place of, or in addition to, those provided in the program	No
Statistic charts	pie	Statistical charts should have the facility to display the distribution of selected events for specific members of the database. The resultant chart should also provide the numbers involved	No
	bar	See above	No
	3D bar	See above	No
	line	See above	No
Genograms		The genogram is a descendant or ancestral chart that is based on a phenotype or the cause of death	No
Mapping module		The mapping module should be capable of using map overlays that can clearly define the topography of a selected area. It should also be editable by the user	No
Lists
Family Group sheet (advanced opts)		A family group sheet should include, or have the option of including, all information recorded for the nuclear family along with the source documentation. Options to include the grandparents and spouses of the children should be available	No
Individual report		A complete listing of a selected individuals information including source documentation	Yes
Custom lists	developer designed	List of persons with defined characteristics the developer has preloaded	No
Custom lists	user defined	create custom lists based on the users choice of criteria. The selection process can vary. It would also include the results of a database query	No
Statistical reports		The statistical report is a text version of the statistical charts mentioned above	No
Index name list(basic name, birth/death)		A simple listing of all persons in the database with an indication of the person's lifespan	No
Index (picklist) selectable data		Similar to a regular index list but with an option to display user selectable event dates.	No
Database audit (missing data)		This audit will report any occurrences where a data entry screen has only partial information. This would include such items as dates, locations, sources, and if the life span data is incomplete	No
Other
Event filter		A feature that allows the user to select only specific events for temporary display on the individual data entry screens.	No
Exhibit display		An on screen display of all exhibits currently linked to an individual, source, location, or repository	No
Flags	limited	A one character field that permits the identification of those individuals meeting user defined criteria. e.g. no children	No
Flags	unlimited	As above but with no limit on the number of flags that might be created	No
Custom specialized data fields		Used primarily for analytical and planning purposes. It allows the user to add useful contextual information to a person's information. e.g. population figures, average incomes, etc. A flag might serve the same purpose if the flag description field is of a reasonable size	No
Display all individual data		All data pertaining to all individuals in the database is displayed using a series of screens or a scrollable screen	No
Focus groups.	all data	A subset of individuals selected to meet user defined criteria	No
Focus groups.	Accent option	An option to color-highlight those individuals meeting certain criteria. e.g. first born, childless, etc.	No
Search
Basic search feature (basic name, text)		This is a simple text search of the database. In a program such as Family Historian, which uses a GEDCOM file as a database, the program offers a number of options to better define the results	No
Search	Boolean, basic	The user specifies a field to be searched, an operator, I.e. contains, etc and a value. Usually an option to add additional criteria is available. They are added using the AND or/and OR function. AND narrows the criteria. OR broadens the search	No
	Boolean advanced	An advanced Boolean search will add more criteria. These may be nested and additional operators are also available.	No
	grouping	This technique allows the user to make a series of basic searches and then do a search of the results of the earlier searches.	No
	SQL	Structured Query Language. This is a standard query language for databases. For casual database users it can be very difficult to use. Those developers offering this option invariably include a wizard of some type as an aid.	No
Search online	individual	This option has appeared in programs very recently. It allows the user to connect to an on line database and search for any information contained there for the person currently in focus	No
Find duplicates		The companion feature to the merge. In the higher end programs the user can specify the criteria to be met to qualify as a duplicate. In the more basic programs this criteria is preset.	No
Reasonableness check		The user sets a threshold age at which certain events may be permitted. Any time the event occurs outside those limits a warning is generated or an internal report produced. This report can be selected from the report list	No

Additional Tools

			geni
Bookmarks		Bookmarks are set by the user. Once set the user simply clicks on the name in a list of bookmarks to return to that individual's data entry screen	No
History, individuals last visited		The history list functions in a similar manner to a bookmark but requires no user input. It simply adds each person visited to the list	No
Family links		This option and the accompanying one are always present in any decent program. They simply allow the user to add, edit, or delete family links	No
Search and replace		Mistakes do occur and must be corrected. This option makes it easier	No
Soundex converter		Convert the name of any individual to a Soundex number	No
Count unlinked		This option should not only display the number of unlinked individuals but should also provide a listing.	No
Relationship calculator		This feature will determine the relationship between any two individuals. The focal person should be user selectable	No
Database (Project) tools	merge	A database merge can be realized in several ways. In the most simple case it is simply an appending of one database to another	No
	copy	Used if the original should become damaged	No
	delete	There are times when you simply want to delete an unwanted database	No
	restore	See copy. This is the function required to restore a backup copy to replace a damaged or missing database	No
	split	This option allows the user to extract a specific group of individuals from the main database. They will then be used to form a new database	No
	revision control system	The revision control system permits the user to restore the database to an earlier state. This is most useful if, for some reason, errors have been made in a data entry session. Rather than try to remember where errors might have occurred one simply reverts	No
Date	Date calculators	The date calculator requires either a date and a time interval to determine the second date. Given two dates it supplies the interval period	No
	Date converters	Date converters may convert from one calendar type to another or convert Regnal years to the appropriate calendar	No
	Perpetual calendar	A perpetual calendar allows to note the exact day of the week upon which an event occurred. This could be a very useful bit of information. Note: Calendar must match the calendar in effect at that particular time	No
Merge	Merge sources	The feature allows the user to merge duplicate sources. It should permit the user to view both copies prior to the merge	No
Merge	Merge people	When merging people the user should have the option to retain and identify which items of evidence have been merged as well as the source and date of discovery. These merges should never be automatic	No
Manage locations		This feature allows the user to adjust the structure of the nomenclature for the location	No

Transfer

		geni
Import	GEDCOM 5.5	Yes
	GEDCOM 6.0	No
	Spreadsheet	No
	Address Book	Yes
Export	GEDCOM 5.5	Yes
	GEDCOM 6.0	Yes
	Spreadsheet	No
	Address list	No
Print	PDF	No

(based on http://www.mumford.ca/reportcard/basic.html)

Comparison of Internet Genealogy Sites

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Popularity

Recording

Report

Additional Tools

Transfer

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