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    Genealogy Apps

    Discover your family\'s past. Often free through your library.

    FamilySearch (LDS Church)

    FREE forever

    Largest free genealogy site in the world. 6+ billion records. Owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but free to all.

    Best place to start. No subscription needed.

    Ancestry

    $25-50/month, free 14-day trial

    Biggest commercial site. Best DNA matching with cousins. Most US census, immigration, military records.

    Library subscription often free at your local library — ask the reference desk.

    MyHeritage

    $11-20/month

    Biggest in Europe and Latin America. Strong photo enhancement and animation features ("Deep Nostalgia").

    Often cheaper than Ancestry.

    Findmypast

    $15-30/month

    Best for British and Irish records. Newspaper archives.

    Worth it for UK heritage research.

    Fold3

    $8-13/month

    Military records. Civil War to Vietnam.

    Sub-product of Ancestry.

    Newspapers.com

    $10-20/month

    Searchable archive of 23,000+ US newspapers from the 1700s on. Find obituaries, weddings, family events.

    Often free with a Library card.

    How to start

    1. Sign up at familysearch.org (free).
    2. Add yourself, your parents, your grandparents — what you know.
    3. The site automatically searches its records. "Hints" appear suggesting matches.
    4. Tap each hint — verify it\'s your ancestor by checking dates and places.
    5. Add details and stories as you find them.
    6. Most people get back 4-5 generations within a weekend.

    DNA testing — what to know

    • AncestryDNA ($60-100) — best for finding US relatives.
    • 23andMe ($100-200) — strong on health/medical info plus relatives.
    • MyHeritage DNA ($60-100) — best for European matches.
    • Once tested, you can upload the raw DNA file to OTHER services for free — multiplies your matches.

    Privacy note: DNA companies sometimes share aggregate data with researchers and law enforcement. Read the privacy policy. Many seniors are fine with this; some are not.

    Library access (often FREE)

    Most US public libraries offer free access to:

    • Ancestry Library Edition — usable free at the library or sometimes from home.
    • HeritageQuest — same idea.
    • Newspapers.com Library Edition.
    • FamilySearch Library Center — at your local library or LDS family history center.

    Call your library and ask "Do you offer Ancestry Library Edition?" Most do.

    Best gift for grandkids

    A printed family tree, going back 4-5 generations, with photos and stories — printed as a hardcover book on Mixbook or Shutterfly. Most kids never know their great-great-grandparents\' names. You can change that in a weekend.