Family Tree Software with Wide Variety of Charts – FREE VERSION.
Using a root person of your choice, with Heredis you can build an extensive family tree with an unlimited number of relatives. The software is not the easiest to use, but once you’ve got to grips with it, you should be able to add individuals to your family tree quickly.
You can search numerous online genealogy sources including Heredis Online, FamilySearch, Ancestry, and MyHeritage. However, to access some historical records, you’ll need to pay for a subscription.
You can try out all the features of Heredis for free by downloading the demo version, which is compatible with Mac and Windows devices. You can build as many family trees as you like with the free version, but each one is limited to 50 individuals.
Read on to find out more about my thoughts on Heredis – both the good and the bad – so you can decide whether it is the right family tree builder for you.
Get Started With Heredis Today!
Get Started with Heredis for FREE
You can try out all Heredis has to offer for free with the demo version, which allows you to create as many family trees as you like, as long as they don’t exceed 50 individuals per file.
This free trial has the added advantage of having no time limit, so you have plenty of time to test out the features of Heredis before making a commitment to the paid version. Features include, but are not limited to:
- Add media, associate events, notes, facts, and more to each family tree entry.
- Search public records and genealogy databases from FamilySearch, MyHeritage, Ancestry, and FindMyPast.
- Create dozens of charts and reports from your family tree.
- Edit and print reports, and illustrated books, and share your family trees online on a website dedicated to your ancestors.
- Track your ancestors’ migration with interactive mapping.
You can also import existing GEDCOM files of all sizes, to discover different ways of presenting your family tree data with the wide selection of reports and charts offered by Heredis.
The demo version allows you to publish your family tree to Heredis Online regardless of its size. However, if your file contains more than 50 relatives, you will be unable to modify or print data.
Downloading the Demo version was easy and no credit card information was required, just a name and email address. Getting started is simple, too, as there are lots of helpful video tutorials available via the website, with plenty of useful tips.
Family Tree Builder Software – Appealing Charts, but Not the Most Intuitive Interface
Upon opening the Heredis software for the first time, you can open a sample family file, which is very useful, particularly if you’ve never used a family tree builder before. It shows what you can expect your family tree and different styles of chart to look like. I do find the charts to be modern and visually appealing.
I found browsing the sample project a great way to get familiar with Heredis, as well as the sort of information I can input for each relative and how it will appear on the tree.
The software is not the easiest to use, and on my Windows 10 machine at times it was painfully slow. Adding family members is quite a labor-intensive process, but you can add quite a lot of information about each relative, including birth dates, death dates, marriages, job information, and your own customized facts.
No hints are visible on your family tree to potential matches to genealogy websites, but you can search them nonetheless through Heredis. Accessing historical records from MyHeritage and Ancestry requires a paid subscription.
There were a few drawbacks to the software, including the lack of an undo function, which is very frustrating if you make a mistake. Plus, there is no option to input any DNA information, which can be a really useful tool to find distant relatives for your family tree.
5 Standout Features of Heredis
Excellent Android and iOS Apps
You can take your family tree and your genealogy research with you wherever you go, using the Heridis app for Android and iOS devices. The app is free to download and allows you to:
- Add and modify persons on your family tree
- Send your family tree via email to print out
- Add to your media collection from photos on your mobile devices
- View, browse, and share your family trees with your Mac and Windows computers.
- Input a family tree created using other genealogy software as a GEDCOM file
Any modification you make to your family tree on the app will be updated on your computer and vice-versa. Plus, the apps can be used, even if you’re not a Heredis user.
Search Family Trees from Other Heredis Users for Family Connections
Search other family trees created by Heredis Online users for matches to your own relatives. With a Heredis Online account, you can search over 400 million family trees for relatives that fit a number of criteria.
The more you know about a relative, the more likely you are to find a match in another user’s family tree. This may unveil a comprehensive branch of your family tree that you had no information on, proving very useful in your genealogy research.
Track the Migration of your Ancestors with Interactive Mapping
When you add an event to your family tree (eg. birth, death, marriage, job, etc.), you can assign it to a location, which is then logged on an interactive map. This allows you to see the migration patterns of your entire family at a glance.
In just a few moments, you can trace the movements of an individual family member or an entire lineage, whether it be over just a few miles or over entire continents. Each marker on the interactive map, shows a list of events, dates, and individuals, helping to give you a better grasp of your family’s geographical origins and movements.
Browse FamilySearch’s Historical Records for FREE
Heredis is certified by FamilySearch, which means you can browse its historical records from within the family tree program. Better yet, you can access more than six billion person entries, completely free of charge.
With access to FamilySearch, you can search its universal Family Tree and access many digital documents to further your research into your ancestors. Compare relatives in your tree with those in FamilySearch and potentially find additional ancestors from their historical records. You can also import descendants and ancestors from FamilySearch’s universal Family Tree to your Heredis tree.
Choose From Dozens of Chart and Report Options
Heredis has a wide variety of charts, reports, and booklets available, which can be shared via email. Unlike some of the other family tree programs I have reviewed, Heredis’ charts are visually appealing, modern, and of high quality, so you could print them out and give them to relatives as thoughtful gifts.
Choose from over 40 charts and more than 30 report styles, which include ancestor and descendant charts, location trees, a supersized family tree, and more than 30 illustrated tree options, which can be customized to create an original and beautiful family tree.
Add 50 People to Your Family Tree for FREE With Heredis!
Growing Your Tree – Impressive Visuals, but not the Easiest Software to Use
Despite experimenting with the sample project for a while, I still found it quite difficult to get to grips with the data entry process. Once I figured out how to add family members, I had the basis of my family tree in a few hours. To each entry, you can add images and numerous facts, including your own customized information.
I soon exhausted all my existing knowledge of my relatives, so I was hoping there would be some hints next to family members with potential matches to genealogy websites. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case, which is unfortunate, as this meant I needed to research each family member individually to try and find information on additional generations, which was very time-consuming.
By selecting a family member using the Search Wizard tool, you can research matches through numerous genealogy websites. FamilySearch records can be accessed for free through Heredis, but accessing historical records from others, such as MyHeritage and Ancestry, requires a paid subscription.
If you don’t have subscriptions, you can search numerous other online archives that are usefully organized by country. The resources available for the UK – where my family is from – included British History Online, National Archives, Old Bailey, and more.
Heredis sets itself apart from the competition when it comes to the variety of charts, all of which have great visual appeal. You can print sheets, colorful charts, and fully illustrated books, as well as create your own website, using Heredis online.
Unfortunately, there were a number of things I didn’t like about the software. At times it ran painfully slow on my Windows machine, with lag and windows becoming unresponsive being a real issue. There is also no undo function, which makes it awkward to correct mistakes.
Another major drawback is the inability to upload DNA information, which could further research into distant and unknown relatives via matches on genealogy websites.
Get Started With Heredis FREE Today!
No Subscription Costs for the Software, but Genealogy Sites Cost Extra
Once you have grown your family tree beyond the capacity of the free version, you’ll need to purchase a download – either for your Mac or Windows computer – to continue your genealogy research.
Heredis for Windows cost $29.99 for the latest version of the software or $19.99 for an upgrade from a previous version. The Mac version of the software is priced at $49.99, or you can purchase the Mac and Windows versions in one package for $79.98. Each license allows installation on three computers.
There are no subscription costs for the Heredis software and you can access quite a lot of genealogical records for free. However, the biggest sources of historical records – MyHeritage and Ancestry – require paid subscriptions, and you may find it difficult to build a detailed family tree without them.
So, is Heredis worth the cost? Personally, I believe there are better family tree programs available that have a one-off cost, Family Historian being one of them. Plus, if you’re serious about creating an extensive family tree, you’re better off using the family tree software that comes with a subscription to MyHeritage or Ancestry.
The good news is, you can decide for yourself if Heredis is worth the cost, before you buy, with the free Demo version. If it’s not for you, you still have a GEDCOM file that you can save and export into a different family tree builder.
Build Beautiful Family Trees With Heredis!
Excellent Help Available Through Forums, but Customer Support Lacking
If you have any questions regarding Heredis, there is an extensive Knowledge Base on the website, complete with FAQ, how-to videos, guides, and tips for getting started and building your tree. There are also detailed user guides for both the Mac and Windows versions available to download for free.
While I was researching Heredis, before trying out the software for myself, it wasn’t immediately clear to me if you needed to pay subscriptions for My Heritage and other genealogy sites to access its records.
Although there are helpful user forums you can access through the website, I thought the best way to get an accurate and swift response was to contact customer service directly. However, the only way to contact customer support is through an email ticket system, so I fired off my query and awaited a response.
It was almost 24 hours later when I received a response, and unfortunately didn’t really answer my question. I would have preferred a more specific answer instead of a response that was overly vague.
It’s disappointing that there is no live chat support available since it was a while until I received a response to my query. This could really slow you down if you were experiencing technical issues, particularly as you may have to search through forums for a solution to your problem. However, it is worth noting that the forums are a good source of information, with the Heredis user community being very helpful and supportive.
Not a Family Tree Program for Beginners
Heredis allows you to build as many family trees as you like, going back as many generations as you can. Using your family tree you can create some beautiful custom charts, reports, and books.
There is a wide range of shareable reports and charts available, so if you have an existing GEDCOM file, you can input it into the Heredis software. However, some users have experienced inaccuracies when importing GEDCOM files from other programs.
Additionally, the software is not very user-friendly. I have used numerous family tree builders and found Heredis to be particularly difficult to use, with a cluttered user-interface and labor-intensive methods of imputing data. Plus, the search function to find historical records from outside sources is difficult to get to grips with.
You do get access to quite a lot of historical records for free, including from Family Search, as well as being able to check for matches for relatives in over 400 million family trees from other Heredis users.
You can also search other genealogy sites from within Heredis, but if you want to access records from My Heritage or Ancestry, you need to pay subscription fees. This can quickly add to the one-off download cost for the software.
Overall, if you’re familiar with family tree programs, you will probably appreciate all the tools and customization options of Heredis. If you’re a beginner, you may find it all a little overwhelming, so the very intuitive Family Historian 6 is probably a better option for you.
FAQ
Can I build a family tree for free with Heredis?
Yes, you can. Heredis offers a demo version, that allows you to start building your family tree for free. It can be downloaded onto Windows and Mac devices and allows you to build as many family trees as you like, with up to a maximum of 50 individuals. No credit card information is required, just a name and email address.
Is there a Heredis mobile app?
Heredis has great mobile apps for iOS and Android devices that allows you to take your family tree with you wherever you go. It’s free to download and enables you to view and modify your family tree, anywhere at any time. Any changes you make to your family tree on the app will automatically sync with the file on your computer, and vice-versa.
Can I import existing family trees from other genealogy programs?
You can. However, many Heredis users have experienced some inaccuracy when importing GEDCOM files. I attempted to add a GEDCOM file from a previous Family Historian project and there were a few pieces of information missing, which I had to re-enter manually, but that was no major inconvenience.
If you do have a GEDCOM file, you import it into Heredis to create some beautiful family trees and charts, but it’s worth double-checking the information has transferred over correctly.
How many computers can I install Heredis on?
Each Heredis license can be installed on three computers. Plus, here is a great mobile app for Android and iOS that can be downloaded for free, so you can work on your family tree on the move.
Will I get a free upgrade to the next version of Heredis if I purchase the 2021 version?
Unfortunately not. However, if you have the Windows version of the software, you can get the next version of Heredis for a discounted upgrade price. For Mac users it is different. As they are present on the App Store there is no upgrade price, but Heredis often launches the new Mac versions at a discounted launch price to compensate.
Don’t forget, you can try out the features of Heredis for free with the Demo version, but you are limited to adding just 50 members to your family tree.
