Review by Truth Teller

We had previously been using Family Tree Maker Essentials. We just upgraded to Platinum and imported all of our files. We also imported databases from two different sides of our family (two uncles that had been working on the branches of their respective families). This process was fairly easy and now we have a fairly complete history of two branches.

The Platinum version is best if you’d like to do a lot of research about your extended family that you don’t have database information for. The 6 month subscription for the online Ancestry.com service is great. However, be warned that you can only search and access information that others have made public. This seems obvious, but it’s important to note that you still may need to do a great deal of offline research to fill in your tree, like adding other databases to your files. With that said, if you already have most of your family’s information, and are really just looking for software to help you build your family tree chart, then you probably don’t really need the Platinum version with Ancestry subscription.

Just one star off because we feel that the interface should be updated. Some areas are a little clunky and not quite intuitive. I’m hoping for a glossier product with the next release. But overall, this is a good solid product with a lot of value.