How does this site compare to Ancestry.com?

Robert Petersen

12/29/2015 at 7:31 PM

Now that Ancestry.com has ruined that site for us genealogists, I need to move to something else. I've paid them for 20 years and they apparently aren't interested in my business any longer.

Erica Howton C

12/29/2015 at 7:51 PM

I use ancestry for researching documents and Geni for the tree. It's a collaborative merge environment here so some tolerance for working together is needed. If you need a private tree suggest MyHeritage. If you want and appreciate area & family line expertise, Geni is an incredible (and addicting) experience.

Private User

9/10/2023 at 12:26 PM

I use Ancestry more than I should because it's a great resource and because it's just easier to use and attach facts/documents all in the same platform. I already added 9833 profile since I changed from Geni to Ancestry it's more intuitive and reliable the Geni! However, compared to websites like Ancestry.com, which is about $200 per year for US records only, the price is cheaper, but then Geni does not include its own records database like Ancestry does and some profiles are not up to date, like wrong parents, birth & death places not using the modern name cities so these are a big minus.

Category Popularity

Family Tree: Ancestry - 75%, Geni - 25%
Family Organizer: Ancestry - 78%, Geni - 22%
Family Social Media: Ancestry - 69%, Geni - 31%
Online Services: Ancestry - 54%, Geni - 46%

I recommend ANCESTRY!

Erica Howton C

9/10/2023 at 12:47 PM

Why do you want to see the modern cities? Just curious. For history’s sake, I want to see the location as it was then. I would also like to see the current day name and location to orient myself, but records are “as they were,” and then translated. Don’t you want to see the original if you can?

Also, how do you handle mistakes or out of date information in a personal tree like on ancestry?

There’s actually not much of a comparison if you understand the goals are different.

Geni’s mission is one tree for everyone, and mostly related to everyone. Ancestry had tried it some years back, failed, and closed its product. Geni is still going strong.

Private User

9/12/2023 at 1:12 AM

I still recommend ANCESTRY! I am skeptical if Geni’s mission is one tree for everyone, and mostly related to everyone?

Erica Howton C

9/12/2023 at 1:21 AM

https://www.geni.com/corp/

Geni is solving the problem of genealogy by inviting the world to build the definitive online family tree. Using the basic free service at Geni.com, users add and invite their close relatives to join their family tree. All Geni users can share photos, videos, and documents with their families. Geni’s Pro subscription service allows users to find matching trees and merge those into the single world family tree, which currently contains over 100 million living users and their ancestors.

Private User - it’s about what you want from genealogical research. I don’t want to work alone, and I want to take advantage of other people’s research (wheels do not need reinventing). So private trees like ancestry are just not comparable.

Private User

9/12/2023 at 2:24 AM

I appreciate that you try to convince me to stay on GENI, but the last time that I merged a family tree on GENI it has been ruined, that's why I moved to ANCESTRY it's better for me! I have to say NO to GENI!

Erica Howton C

9/12/2023 at 3:08 AM

No worries, I understand merge issues very well, because I fix them. :).

I find that less troublesome than the unsourced trees on ancestry.

Private User

9/12/2023 at 3:05 PM

Ancestry made my family tree to be built easier, even if sourced or not!

Erica Howton C

9/12/2023 at 3:22 PM

Easier is better?

Private User

9/12/2023 at 7:10 PM

I found I can;t trust Ancestry when I discovered that their records had smash-merged a cousin of mine with a completely different person with the same name - and nobody had noticed and nobody cared.

The two men did not even live in the same city - my cousin was based in New York, and his namesake in Boston.

Ancestry does not fact-check. Ancestry does not make corrections. All it does is take your money and let you do as you will.

How does this site compare to Ancestry.com?

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