This is the landing page for The Family Tree Software Alternatives series, which reviews 14 major Mac and Windows applications for recording family trees. The focus is on compliance with the GEDCOM standard, both for importing and exporting files, but other aspects, including usability and major features, are addressed as well. Some of the information is now out of date, since some of the applications have released newer versions, but most of the points still hold true.
iFamily for Leopard
The Event Structure in GEDCOM Files
Genealogy apps should always follow the GEDCOM standard, right? You’d be justified in thinking that if you’ve read many of my articles, and generally speaking, apps should follow the standard, especially 5.5.1, since GEDCOM 5.5 is obsolete. However, what should apps do when there are mistakes in the standard? Should they import, export, and/or validate GEDCOM files strictly according to the standard, or according to how the standard should have been? This is a letter versus spirit of the law question, and the answer depends on the mistake in question and the purpose of the app. [Read more…] about The Event Structure in GEDCOM Files
Why All Genealogy Apps Should Support GEDCOM 5.5.1 (Updated 12 Dec 2021)
Family Tree Maker to GEDCOM to Other Apps Crosswalk (Updated 4 Apr 2022)
The table below maps most of the fields in Family Tree Maker to their GEDCOM 5.5.1 tag (at least how FTM exports them). As I complete my testing of each app, I’ll update the table. You can use it as a quick reference and as a checklist of fields that might require corrective action before or after you export your family tree to a GEDCOM. If you click the image below, it will open in Dropbox, where you can download it to your device. Items highlighted in red are missing or handled incorrectly; if the field name is highlighted, then it’s imported incorrectly into the app, while if the GEDCOM tag is highlighted, then it’s exported incorrectly to GEDCOM. Items in yellow are custom fields, which may be problematic for some applications. Please let us know in the Comments if you find any errors.
[Read more…] about Family Tree Maker to GEDCOM to Other Apps Crosswalk (Updated 4 Apr 2022)Family Tree Software Alternatives, Part 9: iFamily for Mac (Updated 20 May 2018)
Details about iFamily for Mac*
Application: iFamily for Mac
Current Version: 2.9.6
Supported OS: Mac
Mobile Apps: None
Price: $29.95 (demo available)
Publisher: KS Wilson & Associates
Website: http://www.ifamilyformac.com
GenSoftReviews: 4.98 stars out of 5 (15 ratings)
[Read more…] about Family Tree Software Alternatives, Part 9: iFamily for Mac (Updated 20 May 2018)