The difference between Ancestry and Family Tree Maker

In this article, we will discuss The Difference Between Ancestry and Family Tree Makers. If you need any help, you can Contact our Family Tree Maker Experts and fix your issue.

The difference between Ancestry and Family Tree Maker is discussed in the following:

  • Website vs. Software
  • Subscribe vs. Purchase.
  • Online vs. Offline
  • Books and Charts – My Canvas vs. Publish
  • Migration maps in Family Tree Maker
  • Sync Differences
  • Unique Features of Family Tree Maker

Website vs. Software

The primary difference between Ancestry and Family Tree Maker is that Ancestry is a website, and Family Tree Maker is software. A website, like Ancestry, is on the Internet, and you access it using a web browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

Family Tree Maker is a software that is installed on your computer’s hard drive. Software is usually on a disc that you put into your computer and install or download from the internet. Other examples of programs you might have are Microsoft Office or Norton Security.

Subscribe vs. Purchase

Ancestry is a website to which you can subscribe. Like a magazine or cable subscription, your Ancestry subscription is a recurring charge that occurs at a specified interval until canceled.

Your subscription gives you access to the website’s records and other features, such as contacting other members.

Family Tree Maker is a software that you buy like you would buy a television or a DVD. You do not have to keep paying for Family Tree Maker. You can, however, pay the support experts to get unlimited help 24/7. Choose to use Family Tree Maker with your Ancestry subscription to get the most use out of the program.

Online vs. Offline

Ancestry is a website, and you need a good internet connection to use it. If you do not have an internet connection, you cannot visit Ancestry or any other website. The trees and pictures you upload to Ancestry are stored on our website.

Family Tree Maker is primarily stored on your computer, so you can use the program without an internet connection. However, some features, such as synchronizing hints or web searches, will be unavailable without the Internet.

But you will be able to add people and other information to Family Tree Maker without an internet connection.

Books and Charts – My Canvas vs. Publish

Ancestry has limited abilities for printing your family tree. You can print up to four generations of the chart you are looking at, a profile page, or a family group sheet. You also have the choice to print the records on Ancestry.

My Canvas will take the information in your tree and generate a book or poster according to the layout you choose, which you can then customize.

Family Tree Maker has publishing options, thirty-seven different charts and reports, and a wide range of customization abilities. You can include these charts and reports in a book. Family Tree Maker books are not automatically generated, so they are much more customizable.

Once you have created the book, chart, or report you want, you can print it on your home printer or export your project to a variety of formats you can take to a print shop and have printed professionally.

Sync Differences

There are differences between your tree in Ancestry and your tree in Family Tree Maker when you have a synced tree.

Uniqueness in Family Tree Maker

There are impressive features that are available only in Family Tree Maker: 

Backing up trees 

Your family trees are essential; not only do they have your family’s history, but they also are hours of hard work and effort. Creating regular backups to preserve the fruits of your toils is one of the things you can do only in Family Tree Maker.

Here, you can find out more about how to make a backup in Family Tree Maker. Then, if your original tree is damaged or you want to revert to an earlier copy, you can easily restore it from the backup file.

You can restore a tree from a backup. For better prospects, you can choose to have Family Tree Maker back up your tree automatically every time you exit the program. This will make sure you have the latest backup file in case your tree gets damaged or lost.

Map creation management 

Ancestry lets you view maps you have created using other software. However, with Family Tree Maker, you can create your own maps within the program itself, showing all the events that took place at a certain location and the people associated with each event.

You can create maps by plotting the migration routes of your ancestors, revealing the journey your family has made over land and sea through the ages. To find out more about creating Migration Maps.

Source citations

Family Tree Maker and Ancestry handle source citations differently. Whereas the online tree system limits a single citation to a single person, Family Tree Maker allows a single citation to be linked to facts for multiple people.

Furthermore, while you can view a source citation on Ancestry only when it is included in a currently open fact, the Sources tab of Family Tree Maker allows you to view and manage all the source citations in the entire tree in a single workspace.

Cleaning up duplicate facts and sources

There are tools you can use to search for and remove duplicate individuals both on Ancestry and in Family Tree Maker. Still, duplicate facts, sources, and source citations can be found and merged automatically only in FTM.

Note’s creation  

On Ancestry, you can add personal notes. In Family Tree Maker, you can create a variety of notes: person, research, fact, relationship, media, and source citation. When you upload a tree to Ancestry, only personal notes will be included, and they can only be seen by people you have invited to view your online tree.

More export options

If you want to share your family tree with someone or open it in different software, Ancestry.com offers the possibility of exporting the whole tree in one GEDCOM format.

With Family Tree Maker, on the other hand, you can export all or just a part of your tree in a choice of FTM and GEDCOM formats. This means you can tailor what you export more closely to the needs of the person you are sharing with.

Exporting a specific branch of your family tree is easy. Go to the People workspace, select the person whose family you want to export, right-click (Control-click on Mac), and choose Export Branch.

Merge trees and branches

One of the inimitable Family Tree Maker features is the ability to merge one tree or branch with another.

Printing options

Only Family Tree Maker has a direct link to Family Chart Masters for printing pro-quality, large-format charts. Family Tree Maker for Windows is also integrated with Charting Companion and Family Book Creator plug-in, giving you access to high-quality printing of different types of charts, reports, and books.

Unique tools 

Family Tree Maker comes with a range of handy, practical tools that will make managing your tree even more accessible. These include three different types of calculators, options to compact files, convert names, sort children by birthdate, and more.

Organization of work

The Plan workspace helps you organize your work by creating and managing tasks, making the family tree-building process even simpler and more efficient.

To learn more about the difference and get help using Ancestry and Family Tree Maker, contact 24×7 Support at 1-888-257-3335.

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