How to Find the Best Genealogy Program

(The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright 2001 by Richard W. Eastman
It is re-published here with the permission of the author)

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ne of the fun things about writing this newsletter is that I get to experiment with all the new Windows and Macintosh genealogy programs. I write about each one, describing its strengths and weaknesses, offering my opinions and then giving information as to price and where to purchase it. As a result of my testing and writing, I often get asked, "Which genealogy program is the best one?"  

I find that trying to recommend the "best genealogy program" is sort of like recommending the "best automobile." Some people prefer Fords, others like Buicks, and still others like Cadillacs. When it comes to automobiles, I never found a perfect one. I own two vehicles: a full-size pick-up truck and a Mazda Miata MX-5 sports car. Each serves me well, but in different ways and for different purposes.

The same is true in genealogy software: what is best for one person might not work as well for another. Like my motor vehicles, I use at least two different genealogy programs to meet my needs. For everyday use I prefer one of the "heavy duty power house" genealogy programs because I want to record every scrap of information I encounter in my genealogy research.

For instance, I have found claims that great-great-grandfather Eastman was born on three different dates in three different locations in two different states. I honestly do not know yet which one is correct, if any. I want to be able to enter all three dates and all three locations into my genealogy database, along with my analysis of the likelihood of each record being accurate. Yet many simplistic genealogy programs only have a data field for one date and place of birth. Which date and location would I enter there?

I would never use a genealogy program that only allows one date or one location to be used. Real-world genealogy research doesn't work like that. I also would never use a genealogy program that didn't allow for extensive recording of my sources of information. I want to record every scrap of data. In the case of early records, I want to record the page number of the book or microfilm where I found it and the location where I found that book or microfilm. In the case of Bible records, I want to record "In the possession of" followed by the present owner's name, address and telephone number. For more modern records, I want to record Web addresses where data was found. For correspondence, I need to record the person's name and postal address or e-mail address.

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also want to be able to record future "to-do tasks" and to be able to sort

them and print them based upon locations. When I am working on my database entry about a long-dead individual, I may enter a note in the "to-do tasks" to look for records of him or her the next time I visit the Penobscot County courthouse. I may do the same for hundreds of other database entries, so I want to be able to assign myself future tasks to be completed as I travel around to different libraries, archives and courthouses.

For my primary genealogy program, I will only use a package that allows me to print out a list of tasks on a location basis. The night before I visit the Penobscot County courthouse, I will run a report in my powerhouse genealogy program to list all the self- assigned "tasks" for the Penobscot County courthouse. A few genealogy programs will do that although most do not.

However, as much as I like my primary genealogy program, it isn't perfect. For instance, some of its reports aren't as "flashy" as those of some of the simpler programs. Even though the simpler programs' databases are often inadequate, I often use a second or even a third genealogy program that generates nice-looking printouts.

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always enter all data into my primary program. When I want to create some of the printouts that the simpler program can generate, I can create a GEDCOM file with my primary program and import that GEDCOM file into the simpler one. Like my pickup truck and my sports car, each program does certain things well and other things terribly. I switch between them, depending upon the task at hand.

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nother reason that I never recommend any particular program as "the best" is because you and I probably have different requirements. There may be features in a particular genealogy program that I don't use but may be important to you. For instance, I couldn't care less about a genealogy program that includes built-in picture scanning or that produces multi-media scrapbooks. I simply don't use those things. Also, I have never uploaded an ancestry report on my personal Web site. Yet other people feel these things are critical. That's what makes the entire subject so unique: each person may have different needs and preferences.

I have written reviews of most of the leading genealogy programs (and some not-so-leading programs) in past newsletters. You can read those reviews to get an idea of the features available in a particular program. Past issues of this newsletter may be found at: http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/columns/eastman/d_p_1_archive.asp.

Another excellent resource that I am very enthused about is Bill Mumford's "Genealogical Software Report Card." Bill does feature- by-feature comparisons of the 18 most popular Windows genealogy programs. Quoting from the "Genealogical Software Report Card" Web site:

Any method for comparing genealogical software has two major hurdles to overcome. It must be as objective as possible and the results must be repeatable. After considering and discarding a number of possible methods it was found that a useful comparison might be made by identifying the basic units comprising a genealogical software program. The 12 basic units are; planning tools, data

recording, analytical tools, source documentation, reports, charts, publishing, multimedia, internet, portability, additional tools and convenience items. Each unit contains a number of features, options or concepts (elements) that permit an objective comparison to be made between programs. e.g. The analytical tools unit might contain such elements as search features, custom lists, flags, custom data fields, multiple note options, etc.

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list of over three hundred items form the elements used in the scorecard. The "Genealogical Software Report Card" then goes on to rate each program by assigning points in each of the categories mentioned earlier. He also adds a significant amount of text to his "report cards." Want to see which program includes endnotes in the Register Format Reports? Mumford's "Genealogical Software Report Card" can tell you. I do not know of any other comparable source of detailed comparisons of Windows genealogy programs.

So which program is best? I would suggest is that you first make a list of features that you want in a genealogy program. Then prioritise that list to decide which is most important to you versus the features that you may be less interested in. Be prepared to update this list frequently as you gain more experience and knowledge.

Next, go to Bill Mumford's "Genealogical Software Report Card" at http://www.mumford.ab.ca/reportcard to match your list against the features listed there. Once you have narrowed the list down to 2 or 3 programs, search through my older newsletters at http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/columns/eastman/d_p_1_archive.asp and through other archives of genealogy news to read the impressions of others.

You can also search on Alta Vista or Google or most any other search engine to find articles about a particular genealogy program or to read other users' comments.

I would especially invite you to look at the publisher's Web site or other web sites for users' message boards and e-mail discussion groups. DejaNews' Usenet Archive, now a part of Google.com, can also be very useful to find past messages about a particular program. Look at: http://groups.google.com

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inally, most of today's genealogy programs have "trial versions" that you can download and use for a while at no charge. Others offer "slide shows" that serve as mini-tutorials. Download and use 2 or 3 different ones to find the one that "feels right." After all, you may spend hundreds of hours with the genealogy program you eventually select. Why not invest a couple of hours before you make a purchase to insure that you select the best one for your needs?