This Utah-based organization, which was founded in 1996, is well-known in the genealogy field – and with good reason. Ancestry.com boasts the largest collection of documents available online, which means you'll have a lot of options for tracking down your relatives. It's also one of the oldest genealogical websites, thus its user interface is pretty much polished.

It's simple to get started with the platform, and there's a 14-day free trial available, after that, depending on how many records you need to access, you'll have to spend $24.99 - $49.99 per month. It's one of the more pricey sites, but it's well worth it if you're serious about learning more about your ancestors.

There are a few wonderful supplementary features on the platform that make it enjoyable to use. There's also StoryScout, which combines elements of your ancestors' life into a fascinating pictorial tale, and a blog to keep up with. If you wish to take your search even further, there's a good directory of professional genealogists available. It doesn't have as many fun features as MyHeritage, which lets you animate and colorize ancient images, but it has a much larger database of records, making it ideal for individuals who are serious about learning about their ancestors.

Website: ancestry.com

At a somewhat reduced cost, MyHeritage provides several of Ancestry.com's services. You can connect with other users, create a family tree, and scan documents. The only drawback is that you must pay a yearly charge rather than a monthly one, although generally, it ends up being less expensive. It offers a comparable DNA testing service and has somewhat more maps dispersed throughout 2,100 different geographic areas.

The website has added some pretty entertaining new photo tools. You may animate old family photos using its "deep nostalgia" feature, and it also offers a free photo colorizer for black and white pictures. Like Ancestry.com, it also does a lot of automatic record scanning, suggesting which files and documents could be relative to your search. It’s user-friendly and easy to navigate – it didn’t rank quite as highly as Ancestry.com, simply because it doesn’t have the same breadth and depth of record databases available to search.

Website: myheritage.com

As its name implies, Archives is a sizable database chock full of information. It contains over 11 billion entries, including unique categories like pictures, maps, and architectural designs. This is intended for family history enthusiasts who have already begun creating a family tree but have either run into a brick wall or want to go deeper than what the typical services can offer. You can upload your tree and expand on it from there because this supports GEDCOM files.

The 14-day free trial is a nice touch and the fact documents are displayed in searches allows you to work fast. The monthly fee is a flat rate of $9.99 making it very competitive. You just don't expect DNA testing or a fancy app with this option.

Website: archives.gov

It's astonishing that FamilySearch, which is mostly administered by volunteers, has been able to upload more than 6 billion recordings since it first launched in 1999. There is no built-in technology that searches the data for you and identifies probable matches, so finding your family's documents will require some detective effort in contrast to the aforementioned methods. However, you can look through records like census information, military records, birth, marriage, and death certificates.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which runs the website, sees publishing these records as one of its responsibilities. There is no commitment to align with these beliefs though, so you can enjoy the records without any pressure to get involved with that side of the service. Given that it's a free site, a few components are missing, and it seems a little stale.

Website: familysearch.org

Find My Past is the go-to place for anyone that has ancestry in Ireland or Great Britain and Ireland thanks to very specific records in these areas numbering over two billion. Although that may not be as many as some of the biggest names in this industry, these records are extremely extensive for such a narrow niche. These are some of the oldest records available, with over 18 million persons registered and records dating back as far as AD 850.

Additionally, the site has joined forces with the British Newspaper Archive, allowing it to broaden the scope of its digital record database, finding local news about your family should be simpler as a result. Many users also really liked this site's family tree layout because it is much more straightforward and aesthetically pleasing than some of the other options.

There is a 14-day free trial before the annual fees begin at $129; regrettably, there is no monthly billing option. Additionally, DNA testing is possible for an additional $89 for the testing kit. The wonderful thing about this website, though, is that it also allows you to upload your DNA test from outside sources, saving you money if you've already taken one.

Website: findmypast.com

Unlike FamilySearch, USGenWeb lacks a straightforward search feature that allows you to just enter family names and press the find button. Instead, you go to the home page, choose the state you're interested in, and then you're directed to a website that is centered on that state. This website will then have all manner of records available, often broken down by individual counties.

It’s a completely free project, run by volunteers. This implies that the quality of each state's website varies; some offer a large number of digitized, easily readable census records and military files, whilst other sites are strewn with broken connections and outdated graphics. You can’t complain, as it’s a free resource, but it does mean that it’s not necessarily going to be easy to find relevant information on the site.

It is a valuable tool for mapping more broad historical trends, though. This is a priceless tool, for instance, if you wanted to examine household sizes, common names, or occupations. This also is a really helpful tool for anyone who wishes to compare their ancestors' lifestyles with current trends or is interested in local history in general.

Website: usgenweb.org

You can create your family tree using the family-friendly website Geneanet, which has genealogical archives. It includes forums and other tools for group study. You can add your own images and tales, import old GEDCOM data, and ask for help from others.

Geneanet performs a respectable job of offering a comprehensive genealogical package, although not having quite as many entries as other websites. You can do a search using a variety of information in the archive or your own family tree. Some of this site's most intriguing aspects are the community features. You can engage in projects that have been posted or join in on discussions in the forums about any certain era or approach you like. Additionally, you can ask other members for assistance if you need it. Collaborative work is rather simple because you can exchange and share photographs, as well as comment on files.

The website can suggest archive materials that might be helpful once you've begun to create your family tree and has some concept of the relationships you might have with other family members. You may be able to quickly increase the amount of information you have by seeing relationships between your tree and other family trees.

Website: geneanet.org

A totally free tool is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). It helps you to find out about the lives and deaths of people who died during the two world wars, caring for memorials and cemeteries in over 23,000 locations around the globe.

The data on CWCG.org is excellent in both quantity and quality. Based on details like a person's name, service dates, regiment, nation, and more, you may simply conduct a thorough search for them. You can make this search as exact or broad as you'd like (depending on how much you already know about someone). Following that, you can peruse a list of potential profiles and investigate the ones that look most likely.

A person's name, rank, service number, date of death, age, the regiment of service, panel reference, and location of their burial or memorial are all listed in each profile. Additional details, such as their parents and siblings, are also visible. You can access and download the papers from the website without charge. This frequently includes the details that were just mentioned together with a picture of the grave or memorial where they are remembered. Additionally, you can learn more about each memorial or cemetery, including visiting details, schedules, and alerts for emergencies.

Website: cwgc.org