Richard S. Wilson
Chino Hills, CA 91709
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
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
3Asks about every 3rd exit.
¥
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 Legacy ChartingCompanion
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.
¥
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 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Adds submitted when creating | 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.
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.
Ancestral Quest 2002 (
Web site
Family TreeLegends 1.34 (
Web site
Family TreeMaker 10.0
Web site
GenBox 3.0.25(
Web site
Legacy Deluxe4.0 (
Web site
PersonalAncestral File (PAF) 5.2.18
Web site
RootsMagic 1.3
Web site
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.