Self-hosted genealogy software with no subscriptions, no data mining, and no 250-person limits. Install once, own forever.
No cloud dependency. Works on a $35 Raspberry Pi or any web server. Your data never leaves your network.
No database setup. No MySQL. No PostgreSQL. Just PHP files that work out of the box.
Automatic protection for living relatives. Photos blurred, data hidden until proper access is granted.
Automatically fix inconsistent dates, standardize place names, and detect potential duplicates.
Ancestry.com charges $499 USD/year for their All Access plan. Miss a payment? Your family data becomes hostage until you pay again.
MyHeritage's free tier limits you to 250 people. Most family trees exceed this within a few generations. Then you pay.
webtrees (free, open-source) requires MySQL database setup. TNG needs manual installation and costs $35-40 USD. Both require technical knowledge.
Real features. Real numbers. No marketing fluff.
| Feature | FamilyCodex | Ancestry.com | MyHeritage | webtrees | TNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $49 USDone-time | $499 USD/year | $299 USD/year | Freeopen source | $35-40 USDone-time |
| Self-Hosted | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Database Required | None (flat-file) | Cloud | Cloud | MySQL required | MySQL required |
| GEDCOM Version | 7.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5.1 | 5.5 |
| AI Data Cleanup | Yes | Basic hints | Basic hints | No | No |
| Person Limit (Free) | 100 | 0 (trial only) | 250 | Unlimited | N/A (paid only) |
| Living Person Privacy | Auto-blur photos | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data Ownership | 100% yours | Terms apply | Terms apply | 100% yours | 100% yours |
| Multi-User Collaboration | News feed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Unlike webtrees or TNG that require MySQL installation and configuration, FamilyCodex uses flat-file JSON storage. Upload the files, configure one settings file, done.
The GEDCOM 7.0 standard (released 2021) adds multimedia linking, better source citations, and UTF-8 encoding. Most platforms still use the 1999 GEDCOM 5.5 format.
Living individuals are automatically hidden from public view. Photos are blurred. Personal details require explicit permission. No manual configuration needed.
Pay once, own forever. No yearly renewals. No "your subscription expired" emails. Your family history isn't held hostage by payment schedules.
The only self-hosted genealogy software with integrated AI assistance
AI detects and fixes inconsistent date formats. "abt 1850", "c. 1850", "circa 1850" all become standardized entries with proper uncertainty markers.
Historical place names mapped to modern equivalents. "Prussia" correctly associated with current German regions. Spelling variations unified.
Intelligent matching finds potential duplicate entries across your tree. "John Smith b. 1852" and "J. Smith b. abt 1852" flagged for review.
No subscriptions. No renewal fees. Pay once, use forever.
Get started with core features
Free forever
For serious family historians
One-time purchase, lifetime updates
Cloud genealogy services analyze your DNA, build advertising profiles, and share data with "partners." FamilyCodex runs on YOUR server. Nothing leaves your network.
Join thousands of family historians who've taken control of their genealogy data. Download the free version or get started with Professional today.