Have you ever been interested in knowing if the family that you are living with is really your family? Let us be real, we have all at least once in life considered the possibility of being adopted. Especially when disagreements with our family members were at their peak.
Have your older siblings told you the stories that you were picked up from a dumpster when they were mad at you? Well, you are not alone. Turns out this is a very common curiosity.
Knowing about your gene pool and where you came from can not only curb your curiosity but may also give you some important medical answers like what diseases run in your family that you should look out for.
It may also amaze you to find out how your family tree has branched out over the years. Some people literally discover siblings in far away countries just because of the technological advancements in the field.
There are many genealogy sites online today. Some of them are reliable and some of them are not but when you are searching for important information that can seriously alter your life, you need a guarantee that the source is indeed reliable.
In this article, we have researched and made a list of the best genealogy sites to find out about your ancestry. Wanted to know why you make such great pasta, you might find out that you are two percent Italian according to your gene pool testing. Who knows.
Follow through the next section to find the list of reliable websites and have fun finding out about your family tree.
Best Websites for Genealogy Testing
1. Ancestry.com
One of the most common and most popular sites for the Genealogy testing online is Ancestry.com
Why Ancestry.com?
- The site believes that every family has a distinct story waiting to be found and this is why the site helps you discover your ancestry.
- You can sign up for a free trial before you decide to pay for anything on the site. This allows you to explore the features of the site to make a better decision.
- The site claims that they have the largest collection of online family history records. This helps to get an insight into your family tree across generations. This information is generally very hard to find.
- The site does not give you just the basic details but also many more insights like the religions that your ancestors have followed and all the living relatives that you have around the world.
- There are many stories on the platform related to interesting stories of the ancestry where people found many relatives with the online records. These stories are really interesting to read and will get you curious about getting to know your own history as well.
- There are many customer reviews on the site that you can read and get insights on how the site has helped actual people find their families and family history.
- There are options on the site on how you want to go about finding your ancestry. If you want to search through the records, they have billions of records to sort through and if you have taken a DNA test, you can also explore the option to find your gene pool through DNA profiling.
- They also have many resources to help you with the other aspects of your genealogy. You can explore the meanings of different surnames, and obituaries to rule out the dead relatives on your family tree, search for historical personalities, and many more.
- The records on the website are legitimate and are scored from the census records, military records, and vital records including other sources. Rest assured whatever the source, the records are legitimate.
- You can also choose the options to create a family tree or a pedigree chart on the website so that other people can also benefit from the information that you compile.
- There is an option to search the public family trees that may help you get some information on who you are related to.
- The site also features an ancestry blog where you will find interesting articles on genealogy.
- The site has a support center where you can report any troubles that you may face while surfing the site and looking for the information on your family tree.
- There are many versions of the site categorized according to the country it serves. There are around 10 countries available on the list right now. You can also find the corporate version of the site on the list.
- You can even find the family photos on the site that are mostly taken from the records available in the public domain. It is really interesting to find the images of your family that you may think are permanently lost.
2. My Heritage
Billions of records to search from to find your family around the world. This is one of the best options that you have.
Why My Heritage?
- You get a 14-day free trial period on the site. This is a period more than any other site trial. You can get access to a lot of information without having to pay.
- As soon as you move towards the sign-up window, you are asked to enter identifying information including the name of your parents. This makes it easier to look through the records of related people as soon as you open your account.
- You can also import a family tree that is already in existence so that you can make important additions to that tree with the records on this website. Also when you import any family tree, it also helps other individuals on the website find you if you are related to them.
- You can find the specific group that you have descended from. This is sorted through a group of 2114 geographic regions all around the world. Think about the amazing insight you get into where your family actually began.
- The DNA test on this site will also help you find out what ethnic background you belong to with the percentages of different mixes over the years. For example, you might have a few relatives in Italy from a long time ago but this contributes a percentage to your gene pool that can be found with the DNA testing on this website.
- You can choose to animate your family pictures on the platform. This is a relatively new and unique feature that you may not find on many other websites but it helps you have a live memory generated from the static picture that you enter on the platform. You can see how the people in the pictures looked when they smiled and this is special to many people.
- You can create your own family tree on the platform with the templates available and choose to keep it private or make it public for others to find you.
- Just by typing a name into the website, you can find some very interesting records related to your ancestors like the postcards that they may have signed, letters that may have their handwriting, and records that may have their pictures. It is really fascinating to imagine what you can find within the collection of a billion records on the website database.
- You can just make a profile and then get the email notifications if any new connection comes up from your family tree. You can then choose to contact your relative if you wish.
- You can use the website on any device. The interface of the platform is compatible with all the devices whether it is a desktop, mobile, or Tablet.
- You can also choose to enhance and get your pictures colored. Given that the pictures that you may have from a long time ago might be in a bad shape and also black and white.
- They also have a blog where you can read interesting articles about family history and other genealogy-related material.
- They have a customer support team that you can get in touch with in case you face any problems on the website.
- You can also choose to order DNA kits on this website.
3. Archives
This is the site where you can access the National Archives and genealogists can use this site for their research.
Why Archives?
- This is the site to access the national archives with reliable data from the military and census records. Therefore, you can be sure that you are accessing reliable data.
- You will also find water in service records on this site.
- There are many educator resources on this site. This can be used for research as well as for teaching purposes.
- With the help of this site, you can start your own Genealogy Research. The records on this site, are citable as well as reliable.
- You will find various kinds of records on this site. In addition to the military and the census records, you can also find immigration and naturalization records. This makes the database even bigger.
- You can find America’s founding documents on this site. This is a section that you will not find on any other website of this kind.
- They also have a genealogy new section where you can discover new developments in the field of genetic and DNA testing department.
- You can find the majority of databases on this site for free. There are also genealogy videos to access on the YouTube resources attached to this website.
- Since this is a research-based website, you will also find many webinars on this website. These webinars can help you learn more about the Department of Geneaology and DNA Testing Development.
- You will find specific information about many censuses conducted in different years. This is a great research resource. Many genealogists rely on this data to cite in their research.
- You can also order copies of the records from the website.
- If you are looking for research but are not good at that, you can also hire a researcher on this website to help you with the same.
4. Family Search
Looking for a free site? This site will help you find your family for free.
Why family search?
- The first and foremost reason is obviously the site is free. There are many sites out there that you can use, but they are not free and sometimes they can really jack up the prices. If you do not want to burn a hole in your pocket while finding your family, then this website is for you.
- In case you do not know how to use the website, you can also use the website’s guide to understand how to look for your family and how to search for a family tree.
- This site allows you to find a particular person that you are looking for just by entering a name that you might not even fully know. Even a guess will do.
- They have billions of records that you can search for your ancestors through. You will be amazed to find out how many things you can look for while you are searching through the database. You might find the handwritten letters of your ancestors and the signatures, and you might even find the photographs in the records.
- The website has a huge community of people that have contributed to the family tree on the website. You can find your own unique family tree from the information that others have contributed to the website.
- The website is run by a non-profit organization and that is why they are able to provide this data to you for free. In case you would like to help with the cause, you can always donate to the website.
- They have special family history centers that can help you find a specialist to help you with your genealogy discoveries in case you are not experienced and are finding it difficult to do it by yourself.
- They have a great customer support system that is available 24/7 for any of the problems that you might face while surfing the website.
- They provide you access to the world’s largest family history library for free.
- They also have a great blog where you can find articles related to genealogy. This can help you get more information about how to find your ancestry and family tree.
5. Find My Past
If you are looking for finding your European roots, this is the site that you should be looking out for.
Why Find my Past?
- The site office of a 14-day free trial so that you don’t have to pay anything if you do not like the results that you get through the website.
- If you are looking for finding European roots, then this is your best option. The other websites on the Internet that provide you with genealogy information are generally for the USA. This is because the websites that provide you with this information were founded in the USA first.
- The site has a newspaper archive that you can access for free right now, as there is a Platinum Jubilee offer going on on the website.
- If you already have made a family tree on another site, but you did not like that site because you did not find the results that you are looking for, you can upload that exact family tree on this website. There is no need to make a new family tree.
- Can also use this site to take a DNA test or you can upload the results of the DNA test that you have already taken and find your family on the basis of that information.
- You can make a family tree for free on the website. If you do not know what is the procedure to make a family tree, the website will provide you with instructions every step of the way so that you do not have any problem making the family tree.
- The records on the website start from the early 1700 so you can find your family history back to the 1700s. The vital records on the website cover 90% of North America.
- The site has access to both marriage and death records. This makes sure that you get all the information about the relatives that you are looking for.
- The site can also help you find your British and Irish relatives. This is a great feature because other sites do not provide you with this feature.
- The site has experienced genealogists that can give you advice and insights on the family tree that you are trying to find. With expert advice, you can find your relatives faster.
- They also have a record of British in Irish newspapers so that you can find the news about your relatives if there is any.
- The site claims to have twice the amount of Irish genealogy material than any other website on the Internet.
- The site has great reviews and the customers that have purchased the records from this website are really satisfied with the results that they have got.
- They also have a great blog where you can read articles about how to find a family tree and what diversification of a family tree means.
- You can also get information about the various censuses conducted in different years so that you can find the most relevant and accurate information about your ancestors.
- They also have a collection of different websites that are related to this website to find more accurate records.
- If you have any problems with the website and the problem with purchases that you have made on the website, you can always contact the customer support team that works tirelessly to provide you with the best experience on the website.
6. US Gen Web Project
A free site with a variety of relevant information on your gene and family history. If This sounds like something you require, then This site is for you.
Why US Gen Web project?
- They provide you with all the genealogy resources in the US for free. If you want to find your family history but do not want to spend your chunks of money on it, then this is the website to look for.
- The site has a great filter where you can filter according to the states that are there in the USA. This will always provide you with more accurate results.
- The site has been around for 25 years and has been relevant for the last 25 years. This increases the credibility of the website. It has helped many people over the world find their families when this concept was new.
- The site can be used without any registration. This allows you to put your focus directly on searching the records without having to put your energy into the registration process.
- The site is reliable and recognized by many government institutions. This site can also be used for research.
- There are many volunteers on the website that are always ready to contribute whatever information they can to the website for free. If you are looking to do research on the website, you can also get answers to your research questions.
- They also publish a Family Tree magazine where they tell you the best websites where you can search for your family tree if you do not find what you’re looking for on this website.
- If you have any complaints about the website or the way that it functions, you can always contact customer support on the website. They will help you with whatever problems that you are having.
To conclude
There are many websites on the Internet that can help you find your family history and your relatives all around the world. But it is not entirely possible that you will get accurate results on every website.
Conducting research on what websites are relevant and give you the most accurate resources is very important when you are searching for sensitive topics like family.
We have tried our best to compile the best resources on the Internet to help you find the most relevant information. We sincerely hope that this information proves beneficial for you. Keep following for more informative articles.