For people with a family history obsession, or just a general interest in genealogy, there are countless tools and resources to help build a family tree. MyHeritage Family Tree Builder is one of the most popular online tools for creating a family tree, and I decided to try it out myself to see how it works. Here’s my review of MyHeritage Family Tree Builder.
Core Features
MyHeritage Family Tree Builder has all the core features you’ve come to expect in family tree makers. Here are some of the additional core features that are unique to this software.
Use Both Online and Offline
MyHeritage Family Tree Builder allows you to take the work you might do online to an offline platform. You can also choose to work privately on a project. If you have a Family Page on MyHeritage, your work will sync with your page as soon as you sign back onto the internet. This is a convenient feature that takes several steps out of the sharing and publishing process. If you’d like extra protection, you always have the option of manual backup.
MyHeritage offers three ways to work on your family history projects. These include the website, an app, and MyHeritage Family Tree Builder. Using the software, MyHeritage Family Tree Builder provides you with the most effective and powerful functionality of these.
You have the ability to start a tree by syncing with a MyHeritage Family Page or by importing a GEDCOM file. You can also start from scratch using a wizard that will prompt you to build your tree using the knowledge you have.
Easily correct mistakes in your family tree
Working with MyHeritage Family Tree Builder is also easy. Using tools like Find and Replace, you can change inaccurate facts across a whole tree. Also, you can add individuals who are not family members, but who might be helpful later if you need to research neighbors or associates.
MyHeritage Family Tree Finder generally works with a pedigree view. If you would like to view individuals’ details, you can view up to two profiles at a time, along with a list of persons in your project. People can be easily added and edited by working through a profile card system.
Add unlimited people to your tree
You can add an unlimited number of persons to your tree. ou can also add as much information about each person as you like. As such, MyHeritage Family Tree Builder includes great organizational features. These include general to-do lists, as well as to-do’s assigned to ancestors. Special lists will help you keep track of where you are in your research and how ancestors connect.
Charts customized by you
Family Tree Builder makes it easy to create charts by allowing you to customize them as you go. You can also save them as .JPG or .PDF files. This allows for greater accuracy and flexibility as you prepare to publish.
Compatibility
MyHeritage Family Tree Builder is available for Mac and Windows.
If you are using a Mac, you will need OS Monterey or higher to install Family Tree Builder 8. Family Tree Builder 8 is the current version of the software.
If you are running the program on a Windows computer, you will need to have Windows 7 or higher.
You can also check for updates from within the program. Navigate to the Help menu and click the Check for Updates setting. Once you have done this, the software will look for new versions and updates or let you know that you are up-to-date.
How Much Does It Cost?
MyHeritage Family Tree Builder is available as a free download. The website to access the download is https://www.myheritage.com/family-tree-builder. Just click the Download Now button. Your download of MyHeritage Family Tree Builder will begin automatically.
MyHeritage Family Tree Builder does have a Premium Edition.
To access this edition of MyHeritage Family Tree Builder, you will need a Premium Subscription to MyHeritage. This costs $129.00 a year, with the first year priced at $89.00. A Premium Subscription will allow you to build a tree with up to 2,500 individuals online.
Is It Free?
The download of MyHeritage Family Tree Builder is free. There are Premium Features in the software, though, that you can only access with a premium MyHeritage account.
If you have a Premium Family Page on MyHeritage, you can enable these features by using the same email address to register your software as you do to access your Family Page.
Where to Buy MyHeritage Family Tree Builder
MyHeritage Family Tree Builder is available for download from the MyHeritage website.
Does It Sync with Ancestry?
MyHeritage Family Tree Builder does not sync with Ancestry. You can, though, import data from other platforms using a GEDCOM file. After downloading your GEDCOM from Ancestry, you can import it into MyHeritage Family Tree Builder by navigating to the File menu in the software. Click the Import GEDCOM setting. A wizard will then prompt you on the steps necessary to import the GEDCOM file.
The software does support syncing with your MyHeritage Family Page. Syncing is automatic, and so, if you would like to keep a project private, you will have to turn off the setting. If you do not wish to keep your work private, you can use the sync setting to add data from Family Tree Builder to your Family Page. If you are working in the online version of your MyHeritage, you can use the Publish setting to import new data into MyHeritage Family Tree Builder.
Also, because you can connect into MyHeritage, you are able to access hints and matches. You can also sync your work with MyHeritage’s mobile app to take your work on the go.
MyHeritage Company Overview
Gilad Japhet founded MyHeritage in 2003. Beginning as a home-based startup, by 2005, the company had a powerful online web presence. Its primary focus is connecting family history researchers and records by matching user-created family trees.
MyHeritage has experienced steady growth since then. It has launched a mobile app and purchased Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Additionally, features of the site have become more intuitive, enabling easier matching and editing of trees.
MyHeritage also maintains an autosomal DNA testing program, MyHeritage DNA. It has built robust tools for managing media and non-destructively editing photographs. These editing tools include improving clarity and colorization.
MyHeritage hosted its first conference in 2018. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tel Aviv-based company opened a medical lab to help fight the disease.
MyHeritage employs 640 people in Israel, North America, and Europe, serving 101 million users across the globe. In total, MyHeritage supports 42 languages.
The company also supports important pro bono projects to protect indigenous culture and repatriate property looted during the Holocaust.
Final Thoughts
MyHeritage is a company with a responsible global outlook. Its software, MyHeritage Family Tree Builder, supports 40 languages. Additionally, its ability to work with the MyHeritage online platform allows researchers to check data and crowdsource knowledge. Its powerful features and worldwide point of view put it head-and-shoulders above other genealogical software.
