Genealogy Desktop Software

Desktop genealogy apps own the data on your machine and sync (or not) to a cloud service of your choice. They beat hosted services for offline work, source-citation depth, and "no monthly fee." For web / multi-user equivalents see Genealogy Self-Host & Web Software; for hosted databases see Genealogy Online Services; for the file format itself see Genealogy GEDCOM Formats.

FOSS / cross-platform

• ★ ★ Gramps — GPLv2, Python/GTK. Win/macOS/Linux. The "I want to own my data" pick. Deep source citation model (Evidence Explained-friendly), unlimited custom event types, places hierarchy, charts/reports, LaTeX/HTML output, plugin ecosystem (DNA matches, geo-views, narrative web pages), GEDCOM 5.5.1 + partial 7 import/export. Steeper learning curve than commercial apps, but no other free tool comes close on completeness. Pairs with Gramps Web for browser access.
  • https://github.com/gramps-project/gramps
• Genealogica Grafica — free, Win; tree-drawing-flavored.
• GenealogyJ — open-source Java; long-tooth, basic charting.
• LifeLines — old-school, terminal/curses, GEDCOM-pure; for the unix-genealogist.

Windows commercial

• ★ RootsMagic — paid (~$40); long-running Windows favorite. Strong source templates (Evidence Explained-shaped), publishes to web, two-way sync with Ancestry and FamilySearch trees, GEDCOM in/out. RootsMagic Essentials is a free cut-down build — adequate for small trees. The pragmatic pick if you want commercial polish without subscriptions.
• ★ Family Historian — paid (~$70 perpetual), UK origin. Beautiful charts, "Plan ahead" research planner, customizable diagrams, strong sourcing. Long trial; one-off purchase.
• Family Tree Maker (MacKiev) — paid (~$80 + upgrade fees); the long-running brand, now under MacKiev after Ancestry divested in 2016. Two-way Ancestry sync is the killer feature for Ancestry subscribers. Win + Mac.
• Heredis — paid (~$60), French; Win + Mac. Polished UI, good charts, syncs with Heredis Online. Strong in continental Europe.
• Legacy Family Tree — paid (~$40); long-running Windows app; quieter community in 2026 but still maintained.
• Ancestral Quest — paid; older Win app with strong FamilySearch sync.
• Brother's Keeper — paid (~$45); old-school Windows, deep loyal user base.
• The Master Genealogist — sunset 2014; if you have data here, migrate to RootsMagic or Gramps via GEDCOM.

Mac

• ★ MacFamilyTree — paid (~$60), macOS + iPadOS + iOS. Native Mac UX; CloudTree sync between your devices. Generous trial.
• Reunion — paid (~$100); the long-running Mac genealogy specialist, no subscription, regular updates. Loved by long-time Mac users.
• Heredis Mac — see Heredis above; cross-platform.
• Family Tree Maker for Mac — see above.

Mobile-first / mobile-companion

• Families (Family Historian) — paid iOS/Android.
• MobileFamilyTree — companion to MacFamilyTree.
• RootsMagic To Go — free mobile companion (read-only).
• GedView — paid iOS GEDCOM viewer.
• Pocket Genealogist — Android.

Pricing summary

• Free: Gramps, RootsMagic Essentials, Genealogica Grafica.
• Paid one-off (no subscription): Family Historian ($70), Reunion ($100), Heredis ($60), MacFamilyTree ($60), RootsMagic full (~$40).
• Paid + sync model: Family Tree Maker (~$80 + sync to Ancestry; Ancestry sub still required for record search).

What's changing in 2024–2026

• Gramps 5.x / 6 series — UI refresh in progress, Gramps Web matured into a proper companion.
• GEDCOM 7 support — Gramps and RootsMagic shipping; Family Historian following. 5.5.1 still safer for round-tripping with services.
• FamilySearch API integrations — RootsMagic, Family Tree Maker, Ancestral Quest all sync to the FamilySearch shared tree; quality varies.
• AI in desktop apps — MacFamilyTree, Family Historian experimenting with LLM "research suggestions"; Gramps community plugins for OCR + entity extraction (see Genealogy AI Tools).

Pick this if…

• FOSS, max data ownership, deepest sourcing: Gramps.
• Mac native, no subscription: Reunion.
• Polished cross-platform Mac experience with cloud sync: MacFamilyTree.
• Windows pragmatist + Ancestry/FamilySearch sync: RootsMagic (or Family Tree Maker if you live in Ancestry).
• Beautiful charts + research planner, UK-flavored: Family Historian.
• Continental European focus: Heredis.
• Try-before-buy free desktop: RootsMagic Essentials.