The Internet is a great way to connect with family, and the perfect medium for collaborating on your shared family history. Putting your family tree on the Web allows other relatives to view your information and add their own. It is also a great way to exchange family photos, recipes and stories.
These sites include the tools you need to put your family tree online, along with photos and pedigree charts. Some offer additional features such as chat, message boards and password protection.
1. Tribal Pages
FreeTribal Pages provides 10 MB of free Web space just for family history sites. Your genealogy data is stored securely, and you can set an optional password for viewing your site. Each free family history site allows you to upload a GEDCOM file and photos and comes with ancestor and descendant charts, ahnentafel reports, an events page, photo album and a relationship tool. You can include your family names in their database so your Web site can be found by other researchers, or keep it private.
2. MyFamily.com
Free (limited)The free basic level gives you a standard family history site with 100MB of space per member. Beyond that, a modest annual subscription fee gives you up to 1GB per member in monthly uploads. The extras at MyFamily.com make the fee more than reasonable. A standard site includes email acccounts for unlimited family members, space for sharing photos and family history files, and no popup ads. The sites are safe and password protected, and also feature a private message board and chatroom, a family calendar, address book, and even space for video and voice clips!
3. FreePages at RootsWeb
FreeFree unlimited Web space for family history sites is the premise behind Freepages at RootsWeb. The site options are basic and not password protected, but they are entirely free. You can FTP your own HTML files (great for family trees created by your family history software) or use the online editor. Ancestry.com, which owns and operates RootsWeb, will display banner ads on your Web site.
4. MyHeritage.com
Free (limited)A host of free genealogy tools enable you to lets you create your family's own meeting place on the Internet where you can share family photos, post your family tree online, trace the family's medical history and keep track of important family events. Plus, free genealogy software and a genealogy search engine to help you expand your family history research. The basic level (limited to 1000 people and 250MB of storage) is free, but you'll have to put up with advertisements. Three subscription levels offer great storage and no ads.
5. GeneTree
FreeIf you and your family members have had your DNA tested, then GeneTree might be a good fit for you. This social networking site allows you to create and maintain an online family tree with their Flash-based Family Tree Builder, as well as upload and share photos and videos. The site's unique feature, however, is exclusive rights to the DNA database owned by the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, which provides results on any . They offer DNA testing, or allow you to enter your DNA profile from another DNA testing lab (mtDNA only, they don't yet allow you to enter Y-DNA markers from another testing company).
