Review by 2WheelTravlr

I love how easy it is to chase down the various branches of our family tree with this program used in tandem with Ancestry.com. We’ve discovered so much about folks, it’s even helped us figure out who the heck is in some of the family photos with only a first name scribbled on the back.

Before I used Family Tree Maker, I’d dabble a bit in our ancestry, but it would all get confusing and overwhelming to the point that it was no longer fun. Now Family Tree Maker keeps track of all the threads, and all I have to do is focus on one person, fill in the information, and Family Tree Maker keeps it all straight.

The only downside is the cost of Ancestry.com annual membership, which is relatively expensive if you get the World option. I understand a need to make this a pay-service, but the cost is prohibitive for those of us who just enjoy dabbling in family history, rather than making it our main hobby.

Family Tree Maker is a well-made program, and can be used as a stand-alone without Ancestry.com, but the ability to look up individuals and research census data is really invaluable and only easily obtainable with the online membership.