Researching your family tree is fun, fascinating... and tough. Finding out about those that came before can be fraught with difficulty. Free genealogy websites offer a great opportunity for research.
Paid ancestry sites tend to have a higher profile than the free alternatives. That doesn't mean that the free ancestry sites aren't worth using, however; just that they're difficult to find.
These totally free genealogy websites will help you to research your ancestry without spending a dollar.
Free Genealogy Websites for a Free Ancestry Search
It's no exaggeration; there are thousands of genealogy websites out there.
Occasionally you'll find a truly useful website with a free ancestry search feature that accesses real data. Here you'll find the top 12 free genealogy websites that are most valuable to anyone beginning family tree research. These sites provide valuable tools, guides, and access to databases that are overflowing with historical data.
When you're done with these, don't overlook Google. With the right search tricks, you can use the search engine giant for genealogy research too.
For additional help, you may also consider boosting your research with an ancestry DNA test from 23andMe.com or AncestryDNA.
1. AccessGenealogy
Access Genealogy is more than your typical ancestry website and a great place to get started. You'll find links to some unique research sources including charts, old letters, military records, Native American records and more. A section dedicated to Black Genealogy provides vital information for research.
One of the more fascinating resources here are the transcribed cemetery records. There are researchers in every State around the US that walk through the oldest cemeteries. While there, they transcribe names along with birthdates, date of death and family members.
2. The Olive Tree
Olive Tree Genealogy is a private researcher's website holding a collection of links and resources for historical data. One thing that sets this site apart is the considerable research that went into finding the links.
Website creator Lorine McGinnis Schulze writes that she started the site in 1996 to provide free resources to other researchers. While it looks as though the site is still in 1996, it remains an unmissable resource.
She certainly delivers on that promise. One of the more impressive links on the site are the ship passenger lists where you can search through the names of your ancestors who immigrated to the US decades ago.
Meanwhile, the site provides a "guide for beginners" that walks you through each step of finding your ancestors. Specific resources are listed that you should check out first to conduct preliminary research.
3. FamilySearch
One of the most well-known names in the genealogy research world is FamilySearch. This is the famous genealogy website provided and supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Church of Mormonism.
Family Search will amaze you with the sheer volume of information available. A single search found my paternal grandmother, her correct date of birth and death, and the town where she lived. I also found the names of her spouse and most of her children.
Birth and death records appear to be accurate, even though relationship records seem incomplete.
The historic gems you can discover here are truly remarkable. For example, I discovered a scan of the 1940 Census conducted by the Department of Commerce. If you're a genealogy researcher, that kind of document is a gold mine.
4. Family Tree Searcher
The family tree searcher is another website created by a private researcher. This site is unique; some of the resources are interactive quizzes that allow you to customize your research method.
It also features a tool that searches major family tree databases to help you find the person you're looking for.
One especially useful quiz is the "free advice" quiz, which quizzes you about what you're looking for. In the end, it provides you with a customized "research plan" along with the free resources to help your search.
5. GENUKI
If you're in the UK or researching lineage that reaches back there, then GENUKI is your one-stop shop for genealogy. UK & Ireland Genealogy (to use its full name) features links to local groups across England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
A database of churches is included, useful in helping to track down graves and family records. You can also use the site to find more about towns and cities in the UK dating back centuries. This might include information about professions and trades, and it even hosts old maps.
If you haven't accessed the resources on offer from GENUKI before now, it can help to unlock so much of your research.
6. ACPL Genealogy Center
An eclectic collection of databases and catalogs, the ACPL Genealogy Center of Allen Country Public Library can be accessed online. It's a remarkable group of tools, ranging from a microtext catalog of microfilms and microfiche at the library to transcriptions from family bibles donated to the center.
The Surname File can put you in touch with others researching the same name, while the site offers gateways for researching Native American and Black American history. You'll also find links to relevant information in the US National Archives and resources for many other US states.
7. US National Archives
For a US-based historical researcher, the National Archives should be at the very top of your resource list. Eventually, most other websites end up linking to these resources anyway, so why not just start at the source?
This is where you'll find census information, military records, immigration records, and even bankruptcy records. There are even articles and information on historical researching techniques.
8. UK National Archives
The UK also has a valuable resource for history buffs in the form of its own National Archives website. The main page of this website links to data such as births, marriage, deaths, census records, passenger lists, etc.
European history is long, and these resources are unbelievably thorough and archived all the way back a thousand years. On this website, you'll also find valuable guides and articles on researching family and military history.
9. USGenWeb Project
One of the largest and most valuable resources for historical information available to US genealogy researchers is the USGenWeb project.
This project is made of up historical enthusiasts who actively volunteer their time and energy to provide free information for other researchers throughout the country.
Simply click on the state where you're looking for information, and you'll go directly to the state's GenWeb site. Here, free resources for your community and local history are provided.
10. JewishGen
"The Global Home for Jewish Genealogy" holds millions of Jewish records, all searchable. However, you will need to sign up to use the search tool, and advanced search is only possible with a donation.
Beside these advanced search options, however, JewishGen holds useful inks to Jewish genealogy resources across the world, particularly in the USA, Europe, and Israel. These are remarkable, covering everything from congregations destroyed during the London Blitz toibusiness directories and cemetery records. There is also a Holocaust database.
11. TONI: The Ontario Name Index
Manned by volunteers, TONI (as the name indicates) is an index, displaying where information can be found. Consequently, there are no actual records stored here, just links to the resources. Over 12 million records can be searched, making this the ideal genealogy resource for Canadian family tree research.
After running a search, TONI will display where the family tree record can be found. This might link to a physical record or another online resource.
12. WorldGenWeb Project
Once you get involved in genealogical research, the first thing that becomes apparent is that the hobby knows no borders. You'll find expert researchers in just about every country around the world, and the WorldGenWeb Project brings them all together.
WorldGenWeb lets researchers focus on valuable and useful resources to conduct their research. Click on the country of your choice and eventually, you can drill down to the specific community, and related free genealogy websites.
In turn, you'll find other free ancestry search tools to hunt for more ancestral information.
More Free Ancestry Search Tips
Sometimes it isn't enough to use a free resource. As you may know, Ancestry.com has the biggest library of census information and military records available to the public. However, it can be expensive to access regularly.
So, what can you do?
Some of the information Ancestry offers is duplicated from information in the sites listed here. BMD information, newspaper reports, that sort of thing. But occasionally you need direct access to primary sources (that is, historical documents created at the time you're researching). You need to use Ancestry.
However, this need not cost you anything. Simply find the right library with a family history section and use one of their computers. Educational institutions, libraries, and other community or municipal buildings can provide free access to Ancestry.
You may need to pay to use the computer or printer, or join as a member, but this approach to searching ancestry for free can save a lot of money.
The Best Free Genealogy Websites You Cannot Miss
The sites we have covered are great if you're a history or genealogy enthusiast or if you just want to track down family members past and present.
- Access Genealogy
- The Olive Tree
- Family Search
- Family Tree Searcher
- GENUKI
- Genealogy Center
- US National Archives
- UK National Archives
- US GenWeb Project
- JewishGen
- TONI: The Ontario Name Index
- WorldGenWeb Project
And if all that fails, simply search Ancestry.com for free via your local library!
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