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Richard S. Wilson
Chino Hills, CA 91709

 


I have also written a book about creating Web pages for your genealogy. It gives examples of how to create genealogy Web pages using your current genealogy software program and much more.
The title of the book is Publishing Your Family History on the Internet.


Be sure to check out my genealogy Web page creation comparison site. There you can see examples of the various Web pages that most genealogy Web page creation software can create.


This page is hopefully being updated soon, be sure to check back.


Understanding the Comparison Charts

These Web pages include charts that should help you understand which programs include which features. There are four feature comparison charts. These should give you some ideas of the features available in each of the programs, although you need to understand that these tables compare only a very few of the features available in each of these programs. I have used the following codes to indicate which programs are in each column.

AQ = Ancestral Quest 2002
FTL = Family Tree Legends 1.3 FTM = Family Tree Maker 10.0
GB = GenBox 3.0
LEG = Legacy 4.0
PAF = Personal Ancestral File 5.2
RM = Roots Magic 1.0
TMG = The Master Genealogist 5.0

If there are features you would like to see added to the comparison charts, or corrections that need to be made to the charts, please send me an e-mail at richard at rwilson.us


General Features Comparison - Chart 1

Feature

AQ

FTL

FTM

GB

LEG

PAF

RM

TMG

Total individuals per database

1 mil

?

2 mil

?

¥

¥

¥

¥

Characters in given name field

130

200

48

254

120

120

65

¥

Characters in surname field

112

total

total

total

120

total

121

¥

Supports Multiple Parents

Yes

?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Gives Tips on startup

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Can open multiple databases at once

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Highlighting Icon describes function

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Place for E-mail Address for preparer

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Right Mouse Support

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes2

Calendar

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Relationship Calculator

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Date Calculator

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Separate Source Notes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Time line

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Spell Checker for Notes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Asks Backup when exiting

Yes3

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Creates Web Pages

Yes

Yes1

Yes1

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Photos on Web Pages

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Compare Two Files for Duplicates

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

Can Include Alt. Names in Index List

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

1Only for their Web site, can't make them for your site.

2   Only functions some of thetime.

3Asks about every 3rd exit.

¥ Unlimited


Multimedia/Reports FeatureComparison - Chart 2

Feature

AQ

FTL

FTM

GB

LEG

PAF

RM

TMG

Includes Photos with Data

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

View Photo When Importing

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Scan Photos from Program

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Edit Photos in Program

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Crop Photos in Program

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Can Include Photos on Family Group

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Can Include Photos on Pedigree

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Prints Photo Album Pages

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Prints Graphic Tree w/photos

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Custom Charting Ability

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Can Design Custom Reports

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Slide Show

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Video Clips

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Sound Bytes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Prints Fan Chart

Yes*

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes*

No

Yes

Prints Hourglass Chart

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Prints Chronology Report

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

Prints Book

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Modified Register Book Output

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Ahnentafel (Ancestor) Book Output

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Register Book Output

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Book Report to Word Processor

Yes

RTF

RTF

RTF

RTF

Yes

RTF

Yes

Automatic Index to Word Processor

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Includes Photos in Book

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Prints Relationship Chart

Yes*

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes*

Yes

Yes

Includes Medical Information

Yes

Yes

Yes

Some

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Prints Dropline Charts

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Includes current addresses

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Web pages strip living information

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Includes Location Index

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Prints to PDF Format

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

* With PAF Companion

 With Legacy ChartingCompanion

 


Notes/Sources FeatureComparison - Chart 3

Feature

AQ

FTL

FTM

GB

LEG

PAF

RM

TMG

General notes (biography)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

General notes size

64k

?

24k

?

1024k

64k

29k

>200k

Number of events available

7

¥

¥

¥

¥

¥

¥

¥

Separate notes for each event

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Attach witnesses to events

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Max number of notes per event

>10

1

1

>10

>10

>10

¥

>10

Sure levels for events/sources

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Separate sources for each event

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Max number of sources for each event

¥

>10

>10

>10

¥

¥

¥

¥

Source database

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Prints list of sources

Yes§

Yes

Yes§

Yes

Yes

Yes§

Yes

Yes

Repository database

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Prints list of Repositories

Yes§

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Source templates

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Source input guides

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Medical note

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Current address note

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

To-Do/Research Log

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Prints To-Do/Research log Report

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Adds source or note to every record imported

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

§Onspecific reports only.

¥ Unlimited


LDS Support Feature Comparison- Chart 4

Feature

AQ

FTL

FTM

GB

LEG

PAF

RM

TMG

Fields for LDS Ordinances

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Imports all LDS fields

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Ability to turn off LDS options

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Export to Temple Ready

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Adds submitted when creating Temple Ready

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Export to Ancestral File

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Shows LDS ordinances on pedigree charts

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Shows LDS ordinances on family group sheets

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Prints LDS incomplete ordinances report

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Prints LDS incomplete marriage sealing report

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Only if you configure the program first.

LDS= Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


So, which software is best forme?

Well, here it is-the part you have been waiting for-the answer to all of your questions. Well unfortunately, the only person to know which software is best for you-is you. Features that may be very important to someone else may be unimportant to you. Therefore, as far as program recommendations go, this lecture will not make any firm recommendations. However, you should now have enough information about the various genealogy programs to be able to know a little about which features they have. You should also know how they compare to other software that is available today.

 

        Latest Versions and Software VendorsContact Information

 

Ancestral Quest 2002 (9 Jul 2003)                   (800) 825-8864

Web site http://www.ancquest.com/

Family TreeLegends 1.34 (16 Apr 2003)         NoPhone

Web site http://familytreelegends.com/

Family TreeMaker 10.0                                   (800)474-8696

Web site http://www.familytreemaker.com/

GenBox 3.0.25(18 Jul 2003)                           (513) 522-4116

Web site http://www.genbox.com/

Legacy Deluxe4.0 (16 Jul 2003)                      (800) 753-3453

Web site http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/

PersonalAncestral File (PAF) 5.2.18                (800) 537-5950

Web site http://www.familysearch.org/

RootsMagic 1.3                                                (866) GO-ROOTS

Web site http://www.rootsmagic.com/

The MasterGenealogist 5.08                (800)982-2103

Web site http://www.whollygenes.com/

Richard's WebCreation Comparison Site

Web site http://rwilson.us/compare.htm


Copyright © 1999-2008: by Richard S. Wilson: All materials, images, sounds and data contained herein are not to be copied or down loaded for purposes of duplication, distribution, or publishing without the express written permission of the owner.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.