Self-Hosted Alternatives to FamilySearch

Why Replace FamilySearch?

FamilySearch is free, run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has 7+ billion historical records and a shared global family tree. So why would you self-host instead?

Updated March 2026: Verified with latest Docker images and configurations.

The shared tree is the problem. FamilySearch uses a single collaborative family tree where any registered user can edit anyone’s entries. Your great-grandmother’s birth date can be changed by a stranger. Edits can’t be locked. While there’s a change history, persistent incorrect edits are a constant frustration for serious genealogists.

Privacy concerns. FamilySearch’s terms of service allow broad use of contributed data. The shared tree is public — anyone can see your family connections. For some families, this raises privacy concerns about living relatives’ information being visible.

No offline access. FamilySearch is entirely cloud-based. No internet, no access to your research. Self-hosted tools work offline and are accessible from your local network regardless of internet availability.

Self-hosted genealogy tools give you a private family tree that only you and invited family members can view or edit. No stranger edits. No public profiles. Full control.

Best Alternatives

webtrees — Best Overall Replacement

webtrees provides everything you need for private family tree management: GEDCOM support, multi-user access with permission controls, interactive charts (pedigree, fan, descendancy), timeline views, relationship calculators, and statistical reports. You control who can view and who can edit.

Feature	FamilySearch	webtrees
Cost	Free	Free (self-hosted)
Family tree	Shared global tree	Private per-instance
Editing control	Anyone can edit	Permission-based
Historical records	7B+ searchable	Not included
GEDCOM export	Yes	Full GEDCOM 5.5.1
Privacy	Public profiles	Fully private
Multi-user	Yes (uncontrolled)	Yes (role-based permissions)
Charts & reports	Basic	Extensive
Offline access	No	Yes (local network)

webtrees doesn’t replace FamilySearch’s historical record search — use FamilySearch (or archives.gov, local libraries, etc.) for research, then enter findings into webtrees for permanent, private storage.

services:
  webtrees:
    image: ghcr.io/nathanvaughn/webtrees:2.1.21
    container_name: webtrees
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    volumes:
      - webtrees_data:/var/www/webtrees/data
    environment:
      - DB_TYPE=mysql
      - DB_HOST=db
      - DB_PORT=3306
      - DB_NAME=webtrees
      - DB_USER=webtrees
      - DB_PASS=changeme_webtrees_password
      - BASE_URL=https://family.yourdomain.com
      - WT_ADMIN_USER=admin
      - WT_ADMIN_PASS=changeme_admin_password
    depends_on:
      - db

  db:
    image: mariadb:11
    container_name: webtrees-db
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - mariadb_data:/var/lib/mysql
    environment:
      - MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=changeme_root_password
      - MARIADB_DATABASE=webtrees
      - MARIADB_USER=webtrees
      - MARIADB_PASSWORD=changeme_webtrees_password

volumes:
  webtrees_data:
  mariadb_data:

[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host webtrees]

Gramps Web — Best for Advanced Research

Gramps is the most powerful open-source genealogy research tool, used by serious genealogists for decades. Gramps Web brings that power to a web browser. It handles complex relationships, source citations, evidence analysis, and research notes better than any other self-hosted option.

Best for: Genealogists who want research-grade tools with source citation management and evidence analysis workflows.

[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Gramps Web]

Migration Guide

1. Export from FamilySearch — go to Family Tree → Tree → GEDCOM Export (or use the FamilySearch API via third-party tools like RootsMagic or Ancestry)
2. Note: FamilySearch GEDCOM export includes your direct lines, not the entire global tree
3. Import GEDCOM into webtrees — upload via the admin panel. Large files may need the PHP upload limit increased in the container configuration.
4. Download source images — FamilySearch doesn’t include attached images in GEDCOM exports. Download relevant record images separately and re-attach them in webtrees.
5. Set up user accounts — create accounts for family members who should have access. Assign Viewer or Editor roles based on trust level.
6. Continue using FamilySearch for research — self-hosted tools store your findings; FamilySearch remains valuable for accessing historical records. Use both.

Cost Comparison

	FamilySearch	Self-Hosted (webtrees)
Monthly cost	$0	~$5/month (VPS)
Annual cost	$0	~$60/year
Privacy	Public shared tree	Fully private
Edit control	Anyone	Role-based permissions
Historical records	7B+ included	Not included
Offline access	No	Yes
Data ownership	LDS Church servers	Your server

FamilySearch is free. Self-hosted genealogy costs ~$5/month. The trade-off is privacy and edit control vs access to historical records. Most users will benefit from using both — FamilySearch for research, webtrees for private storage.

What You Give Up

FamilySearch’s historical record collection (7+ billion records including census, vital records, immigration, military, church records) is its core value. Self-hosted tools don’t include any historical records — you research elsewhere and enter findings manually.

The collaborative nature of FamilySearch occasionally produces unexpected discoveries. Other researchers may add information about your family that you didn’t know existed. This serendipitous discovery doesn’t happen in a private tree.

FamilySearch’s record hints — automatic suggestions that link your ancestors to historical records — are absent in self-hosted tools. You’ll need to search for records manually.

The FamilySearch mobile app for capture-on-the-go (photographing headstones, documents) has no self-hosted equivalent. You’ll photograph locally and upload to webtrees later.

Related

• Best Self-Hosted Genealogy Tools
• How to Self-Host webtrees
• How to Self-Host Gramps Web
• webtrees vs Gramps Web
• Self-Hosted Alternatives to Ancestry
• Self-Hosted Alternatives to MyHeritage