{"id":18012,"date":"2019-01-20T05:38:25","date_gmt":"2019-01-20T05:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/comparakeet.com\/?page_id=18012"},"modified":"2019-02-24T12:27:59","modified_gmt":"2019-02-24T12:27:59","slug":"findmypast-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/comparakeet.com\/best-genealogy-sites\/findmypast-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Findmypast Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Signing up and Starting the Search<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s easy to start using Findmypast, especially with a 14-day free trial. When you sign up, you\u2019ll be asked to enter the usual details: full name, country of residence, email, password, and billing information. Take note that the trial allows you access to only two billion out of over eight billion historical records that make up Findmypast\u2019s archive; although you will be able to look through a wide variety of content nonetheless, from military records to newspaper clippings and more. After 14 days, the subscription will auto renew, though you can avoid that by canceling the trial before the two-week period is up.<\/p>\n

If after the trial you find that Findyourpast is your cup of tea, you might want to consider upgrading to their premium plan; especially if you\u2019re serious about chasing down family history leads. Not only is Findyourpast a great resource in terms of the contents of its archive, but it\u2019s also known for its very helpful research guides and intuitive search tools. With a Premium plan, you get access to the entire Findmypast archive, and you\u2019ll be delighted to find that a sizable number of their records are scans of original and sometimes even handwritten documents–considered to be the gold standard to genealogy research. Worth noting, though, that Findmypast deals with records from mostly English-speaking territories; if you\u2019re from anywhere outside the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, this may not be the best service for you.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Other products in this category<\/div>
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<\/div>1st<\/sup> Place<\/span>9.8 out of 10<\/span>
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<\/div>2nd<\/sup> Place<\/span>9.4 out of 10<\/span>
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<\/div>4th<\/sup> Place<\/span>7.8 out of 10<\/span>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Building Family Trees with Findmypast<\/h2>\n

What Findmypast lacks in extra features–like DNA testing or strong community building–it makes up for with its family tree builder. While family tree builders are standard fare for most genealogy websites, what makes Findmypast stand out is the level of ease at which you can use theirs, in conjunction with its robustness. All the bells and whistles are present: you can upload and work from your own GEDCOM (Genealogical Data Communication) file, you can add your own documents and media, and there is even a hint system in place.<\/p>\n

To start your own family tree–and you can do this even if you\u2019re on a free trial–you\u2019ll work with your full name, as well as your birth date and location. You\u2019ll also be asked if you want your tree to be public or private; while the latter seems more prudent, especially considering the amount of personal information you\u2019ll be divulging, setting your family tree to public will make it possible for you to connect with other users on Findmypast who may share your ancestry. After this initial step, it\u2019s on to fleshing out your family tree.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to add new individuals to your family tree, and on top of your own profile, you can even build separate profiles for each family member. These profiles are used to track relationships and to calculate kinship; and you can create a virtual timeline of a person\u2019s life using this feature and have it come out looking like a social media feed. Events, milestones, photos, documents–you can put it all there.<\/p>\n

Display Options<\/h3>\n

Another great feature that Findmypast incorporates into their family tree builder is the ability to view your data from multiple perspectives. Family View gives you a vertical tree, and is probably the most familiar family tree configuration; Family Group isn\u2019t much different. Pedigree displays a horizontal tree; while People is simply a vertical listing of all the people you\u2019ve added to your family tree so far, complete with birth and death dates and any Findmypast hint notifications pertaining to each relative.<\/p>\n

Record Matches and Hints<\/h3>\n

Apart from appearing directly on your family tree, hints are also collected into one specific section, which you can access at the top of your Findmypast dashboard under \u2018My Hints\u2019. Hints are basically records that Findmypast thinks match someone in your family tree. When you check this section out, you\u2019ll be shown a preview of each hint, and you have the ability to review the whole record as a document transcription–of a scan of the original, if it\u2019s available–before sorting each via these options: New, Maybe, Accepted and Rejected.<\/p>\n

Connecting and Collaborating<\/h2>\n

This is where Findmypast falters. Unlike many other genealogy research services that include among their top priorities community collaboration, Findmypast instead chose to focus on extensive research guides as a way to facilitate progress. This is very useful and certainly it helps to have some structure, especially for people who are just starting out. But when it comes to genealogy research, you get more when you put in more; that is to say, hints and searches are more likely to be fruitful the more information Findmypast has to work with–and that\u2019s why a strong, collaborative community would have been really helpful. Instead, most of the burden is on you: continuing to find leads depends on your research, your progress, your data. However, Findmypast is partnered with other organizations with great community building, such as FamilySearch; and you can import a GEDCOM file that you could have worked on using a different service with more of a focus on finding distant relatives that may also be working on their own family trees.<\/p>\n

In terms of reaching out and providing to their subscribers, Findmypast is mediocre at best. Yes, they do have a help and FAQ section, but the only way to contact a customer support representative–at least at the time of this writing–is via email, as Findmypast claims to be having trouble with the alternative options they usually offer.<\/p>\n

Paying for Premium Service<\/h2>\n

There are two ways to use Findmypast: get a monthly subscription or buy Pay-As-You-Go credits. Two different subscription types are offered, which you can pay for either monthly or annually, as seen below.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Subscription Tier<\/th>\nWhat You Get<\/th>\nMonthly<\/th>\nAnnually<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Starter<\/strong><\/td>\nAccess to 2.9 billion records including:
\nUS birth and death records
\nUS marriage records (excluding premium set)
\nUS immigration and travel records.
\nUS newspaper articles
\nUK\/Ireland census records
\nUS census records
\nIrish Parish Catholic Registers
\n+ Family tree builder<\/td>\n		$9.95\/mo<\/td>\n$2.91\/mo
\nCharged as a single payment of $34.95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Premium<\/strong><\/td>\nAccess to over 8 billion records including:
\nEverything from Starter plan
\nUS marriage records (360 years of records)
\nIrish records including the Griffiths valuation
\nUK Parish registers
\nUS Catholic records
\nIrish and Griffiths maps
\nBritish and Irish newspaper pages
\n1939 Register (annual subscribers only)<\/td>\n		$19.95\/mo<\/td>\n$19.96\/mo
\nCharged as a single payment of $239.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

A quick note about the 1939 Register, access to which is bundled in only with an annual subscription to the Premium plan–and likely why the annual fee is a hair more expensive than month to month: It is a very useful resource for family historians. The 1939 is the only surviving snapshot of what the civilian population of England and Wales was like just after the start of World War II; and it\u2019s even more valuable and rare because the 1931 census was destroyed in a London air raid, and the 1941 census was never undertaken.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not keen on paying for an annual subscription to the Premium plan, you\u2019ll be relieved to find out that you can buy permanent access to the 1939 Registrar by using 60 Pay-As-You-Go credits. 60 is the highest credits go to be able to view a single resource; typically records cost anywhere between five to 60 credits to unlock.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Pay-As-You-Go<\/th>\nPrice<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
60 credits<\/strong><\/td>\n$10.95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
300 credits<\/strong><\/td>\n$37.95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
900 credits<\/strong><\/td>\n$82.95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pay-As-You-Go credit can be used in conjunction with a free account or a one-month paid subscription. You can buy them in increments of 60, 300 and 900; and they are valid for 90 days from the date of purchase.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>

What's the Verdict on Findmypast?<\/h3><\/div>Worth It, Some Issues<\/a><\/div><\/section>
\n

Findmypast Review 2020 – Conclusion<\/h2>\n

With over eight billion searchable records and a very user-friendly family tree builder, Findmypast is a great starting resource for budding family historians and would-be genealogists. Its features and support options will seem basic to intermediate and expert customers, as Findmypast\u2019s great strengths–their guides and family tree builder interface–are all geared toward helping newcomers get a good grasp of what it takes to succeed in genealogy research. However, moderate subscription pricing and Pay-As-You-Go credit options are great reasons to check out their service; coupled, of course, with the fact that their archive is huge and filled with rare and exclusive content. If your ancestry goes far back into the early days of North America and parts of the United Kingdom, you should definitely give Findmypast a try.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Signing up and Starting the Search It\u2019s easy to start using Findmypast, especially with a 14-day free trial. When you sign up, you\u2019ll be asked to enter the usual details: full name, country of residence, email, password, and billing information. Take note that the trial allows you access to only two billion out of over […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"parent":15382,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/review-template.php","meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nFindmypast Review - Comparakeet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/comparakeet.com\/best-genealogy-sites\/findmypast-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Findmypast Review - Comparakeet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Signing up and Starting the Search It\u2019s easy to start using Findmypast, especially with a 14-day free trial. 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