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Someone Peed In My Gene Pool!

Genealogy Tools

This page provides a comprehensive list of online tools and resources that genealogists use for research, which will undoubtedly help you on your family history journey. They are grouped by category to help you find what suits your needs:

Genealogy Record Databases & Family Trees

These are the most widely used platforms for building family trees and accessing billions of historical records.

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Major Platforms:

  1. Ancestry.com – Extensive record collections (census, military, immigration, etc.); DNA matching.
    • I’ve only experimented with a few tools so far. I started with Ancestry. This was the first and only site I had heard of that provided services for genealogical research. And since I was starting, it was perfect for me. I used Ancestry to begin entering the details I knew into a family tree. From there, my tree just exploded with hints. I’ve been trying to get through and confirm each of the hints ever since.
  2. FamilySearch.org – Free site run by LDS Church; massive global record collections; collaborative tree.
  3. MyHeritage – Global records, smart matching tech, DNA testing.
  4. Findmypast – Best for UK and Irish records.
  5. Geni.com – Collaborative family tree focused on building a “World Family Tree.”
  6. WikiTree – Free, collaborative, source-based community tree.
  7. Geneanet – European-focused database and trees (strong in France and Germany).
  8. TribalPages – Host private family trees online.
  9. RootsFinder – Free tree-building with research tools and hints.

DNA & Genetic Genealogy Tools

DNA Testing Companies:

  1. 23andMe – Autosomal DNA + health reports.
  2. AncestryDNA – Largest matching database.
  3. MyHeritage DNA – Good international matches.
  4. FamilyTreeDNA – Y-DNA and mtDNA tests for deep ancestry.

DNA Analysis Tools:

  1. GEDmatch – Upload DNA from any company for matching and analysis.
  2. DNA Painter – Chromosome mapping tool.
  3. DNAGedcom – Tools for clustering and matching analysis.
  4. Clustering Tools (e.g., Genetic Affairs) – Creates DNA match clusters.
  5. Borland Genetics – DNA reconstruction and tools for advanced research.

Historical Newspapers & Archives

Search for obituaries, marriage announcements, and local news.

  1. Newspapers.com – Huge U.S. collection (owned by Ancestry).
  2. GenealogyBank.com – Newspapers, obits, historical documents.
  3. Chronicling America – Free U.S. newspapers from the Library of Congress.
  4. British Newspaper Archive – Historical newspapers from the UK.
  5. NewspaperArchive.com – Global newspaper archive (focus on U.S. and Canada).

Maps, Land & Property Tools

Understand your ancestors’ geography and landholdings.

  1. David Rumsey Map Collection – Historical maps from around the world.
  2. Historic Map Works – Property and antique maps.
  3. EarthPoint (linked with Google Earth) – Visualize land descriptions in real-world geography.
  4. Bureau of Land Management (BLM GLO) – Federal land patents (U.S.).

Cemetery & Obituary Indexes

Help locate burial places and gravestones.

  1. Find a Grave – User-submitted graves and tombstones.
  2. BillionGraves – GPS-tagged headstone images.
  3. Interment.net – Cemetery transcription project.
  4. Legacy.com – Online obituaries.

Books, Histories & Directories

Digitized resources for context and records.

  1. Internet Archive – Millions of free digitized books.
  2. Google Books – Search old town/county histories.
  3. HathiTrust – Academic and public domain books.
  4. USGenWeb & WorldGenWeb Projects – Volunteer transcriptions and county-level histories.

Specialized Record Repositories

By geography or record type.

  1. National Archives (U.S., UK, Canada, etc.) – Government records.
  2. Ellis Island & Castle Garden – U.S. immigration records.
  3. Cyndi’s List – Directory of thousands of genealogy sites, grouped by topic.
  4. The Genealogist (UK) – Wills, parish records, etc.
  5. JewishGen – Jewish ancestry research.
  6. AfriGeneas – African American genealogy tools and forums.
  7. Pradziad (Poland), Matricula Online (Europe) – Church records.

Research & Organization Tools

Helpful in organizing and analyzing data.

  1. Gramps – Free open-source genealogy software.
    • This software was created by genealogists for genealogists. Since it is open-sourced, it allows you to customize the software and generate add-ins that enable the software to perform various tasks you need, provided you have the coding skills to create those add-ins. I love Gramps; it is my favorite genealogy platform so far because it is very user-friendly and has many functionalities that I haven’t seen on other platforms. It has a fairly simple user interface that doesn’t seem too complicated to learn and is completely customizable. You can add and remove any functionalities that you wish based on whether you find them helpful or not, depending on how you work on your genealogy.
  2. RootsMagic – Desktop tree builder with online hints.
    • This software is very similar to Family Tree Maker and Gramps in that it allows you to enter your research details and family tree research into an offline database. It has a lot of functionality, much of which I haven’t explored yet. It can be downloaded from the website, but only the most basic features are available in the free version. You also have the option to purchase the software for a little under $30, which gives you full functionality. The feature I love the most about this software is that you can color-code individuals on your family tree to identify direct ancestors easily.
  3. Legacy Family Tree – Full-featured genealogy program.
  4. Evernote / OneNote – For organizing notes and documents.
  5. Trello or Notion – Project management for genealogy research.

Genealogy Communities & Forums

Get help, share information, and connect with others.

  1. Reddit (r/Genealogy) – Active user community.
  2. Facebook Genealogy Groups – Many by surname, region, or interest.
  3. Genealogy Stack Exchange – Q&A format for research help.
  4. RootsWeb Mailing Lists – Now archived, but still accessible.

Timelines & Context Tools

Understand events that impacted your ancestors.

  1. Historical Timeline Generator – (e.g., Preceden)
  2. Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (U.S.)
  3. Who Was Where (Google Earth timelines)

There are many valuable tools available to assist with researching your family history. I’m just now getting into it, so I only have experience with a few so far. As I find and try more tools, I will provide full product reviews and details right here on this page. I know it’s always nice to get an idea of how the tool works before purchasing it.

What are your favorite tools for genealogy?

Drop a line in the comments and let me know so I can try it out and write about it!