In a Nutshell
pros
- Smart Matches with email alerts
- Community collaboration tool
- 2-week free trial and basic free account
cons
- Somewhat cluttered user interface
- Can’t sign up per month
Best For
Deep dive genealogical research with useful online software and tools
Why Go With MyHeritage
MyHeritage is a huge name in the genealogy world, but it’s not the biggest database out there. Ancestry.com has almost 3 times the number of records. So why would you opt for MyHeritage instead? Here are a few reasons we think you’d like using this brand:
Community Collaboration
Doing genealogical research can be difficult, which is why it’s always nice to have a team. MyHeritage is set up so that other members can help you do the research for your family tree. There are roughly 5.7 billion profiles on the MyHeritage network. So having a community like that help out is definitely worth a lot of points.
Features
What’s more, MyHeritage has some really cool tools. The Smart Matches™ makes research a lot easier since it hands you heritage matches from its large database. It also adds credibility to your tree by using match confirmation software. MyHeritage also lets you see DNA match details with other members who might be related to you, has a tree consistency check (extremely important for accurate tree building), and a handy tool that lets you add full branches of your family with a single click.
What's on Offer
In short, MyHeritage offers solid genealogical research and family tree development software. It’s a great way to find out more information about your lineage and create a solid tree online. Going a little deeper, MyHeritage also has some neat tools that can enhance your genealogical research. Here are a few we particularly enjoyed using:
- DNA Match suggestions
- Upload GEDCOM files
- Smart Matches™
- Tree Consistency Checker
- 19+ billion historical records
- Automatic Records Matches
- Link historical records to members of your family tree
- Photo tools to repair, animate, enhance and colorize old family photos
Ease of Use
MyHeritage has a 14-day free trial. So you’ll want to start with that, because, why not? What’s annoying is that you have to put credit card info in even for the free trial. Click on the link to get started with the signup process. MyHeritage has an easy-to-use signup process via your Facebook and Google accounts. You can also use email if you prefer.
Next, you’ll enter whatever relevant information you have about yourself, your parents, and your grandparents. Just fill out whatever you know. Then MyHeritage will try to make matches with other entries in its database. There are over 100 million users and more than 19 billion records. So that’s a lot of research power. If matches come up, you can add them to your tree.
Now for the fun stuff! MyHeritage has a lot of features that make your genealogical research more interesting and enjoyable. For example, you can click on an entry and get options like: research this person, order a DNA test, or see facts about them. You can also upload photos and videos, see the person’s profile, link public records to their entries, and see a pedigree map of specific individuals. We’ve already mentioned that MyHeritage has some excellent features that will enhance your genealogical research and bolster your family tree project, like the Instant Discoveries™ feature or the DNA match option.
You can share your family tree via social media, Whatsapp, or by using the shareable link. MyHeritage also lets you research on any device, including desktop, mobile, and tablets. You can sync your accounts, so you get all the information instantly on any device and continue your research from anywhere. Full disclosure, though. MyHeritage has a ton of research capability, so it’s a little overwhelming when you start. You’ll need to be ready for the onslaught of possibilities the software offers, or you’ll just walk away frazzled.
Report Features
- Names, dates, and locations of entries
- Photos, documents, and videos uploads
- Different views (family, pedigree, fan, list)
- Record Matches
- Facts
Customer Support
MyHeritage has extensive customer support options. MyHeritage offers support in 42 languages, including French, German, Hebrew, Finnish, Spanish, Swiss, and more. MyHeritage also has a tremendous knowledge base that will answer any possible issue or question you might have. MyHeritage customer support is also known for being extremely helpful and friendly.
Pricing
A couple of things that we don’t like about MyHeritage’s pricing: for one thing, it’s more expensive than many competitors. For another thing, MyHeritage doesn’t offer monthly pricing. So if you want to do short-term research or just create a snazzy family tree, you’ve got to pay for the full year. One thing we will say about MyHeritage’s pricing is that it is completely transparent. No shtick here folks. The company even puts the full pricing first on its page, listing the discounted first-year pricing second, so it’s completely clear what you are getting yourself into. Points for that MyHeritage.
MyHeritage has 4 plans to choose from. There’s also a basic free option. Don’t get too excited, though. The free account doesn’t offer much. You can enter up to 250 people onto your family tree, but that’s it. You won’t get Smart Matches™, Consistency Checker, or any of the useful features MyHeritage is known for. So the free account doesn’t offer much unless you’re looking for the bare bones (and even then, it doesn’t seem worthwhile).
On the other hand, the for-pay versions offer a lot more. Once you open your wallet, you’ll get most of the cool features immediately, including Smart Matches™ and advanced DNA features. As you graduate through the plans, you’ll earn more features like Instant Discoveries, tree consistency checker, and unlimited entries.
Bottom Line
All in all, MyHeritage is a great product. We’ll admit that using it at first was a little overwhelming with all the information and options available. But once you start digging in, MyHeritage has a tremendous wellspring of genealogical data and resources to help you create an accurate and rich family tree. The unique features add depth to the project, and the online tools make it easier to do more, faster.
The lack of monthly pricing may turn off some users. But the helpful customer service, useful online tools, and mobile app make MyHeritage an obvious choice for people who are serious about creating a solid family tree based on reliable genealogical research.
About MyHeritage
MyHeritage was founded back in 2003 as an online platform to help people launch genealogical research and build family trees easily and more accurately. Since then, the company has become a household name, known for providing useful genealogical research and DNA discovery tools for people all over the world. MyHeritage has been featured in the New York Times, TechCrunch, Good Morning America, and more. In addition to the family tree builder and online genealogical research software, you can also use the MyHeritage DNA test to find out more information about your ethnicity, ancestral backgrounds, and even find long-lost or unknown relatives.
Contact Details
Phone:
USA: 1-844-994-1888
(Local numbers for other countries available)
