shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Gramps-project?

Free, open-source genealogy software for building family trees - gramps-project.org

Depends. Use it if you are a serious family historian comfortable with open-source software and community-only support — it is completely free and unusually deep. Skip it if you want a polished, collaborative, or vendor-supported tool; web services fit casual users far better.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~20 public sources; many snippets truncated, so ratings and quotes are partial.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Gramps (all of it)

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Serious hobbyist genealogists
  • Open-source and offline-first researchers
  • Zero-budget deep family-tree projects
  • Self-hosters wanting a web tree

Not for

  • Casual users who want a quick, pretty family tree
  • Families wanting easy sharing and collaboration
  • Anyone needing vendor support, SLAs, or hand-holding
  • Non-technical users unwilling to tinker

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

CVE-2026-40258: Zip Slip path traversal in Gramps Web media import — self-hosters must patch

medium

No vendor: updates, fixes, and help all depend on volunteers

medium

Free desktop app, but the web version shifts hosting and security work onto you

low

Scan of the project's own security page found no security page

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free and community-driven
  • Open source, GPL-2.0+, code on GitHub
  • Called the most complete, organized genealogy software by users
  • Self-hostable web frontend for online access
  • Distributed via Snap and Microsoft Store

Cons

  • Volunteer-run project; no paid support
  • At least one reviewer would not recommend it
  • Critical CVE-2026-40258 (CVSS 9.1) in Gramps Web API
  • Desktop-first; web access requires self-hosting

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/25/2026 - 10 sources - One critical CVSS 9.1 path-traversal CVE in the Gramps Web API (April 2026); desktop app not implicated in reviewed sources.

official x3review x5security x2
  • CVE-2026-40258 — Zip Slip path traversal in Gramps Web media archive import, Path traversal (CWE-22) in the Gramps Web API media archive import, rated critical at CVSS 9.1 by multiple databases; disclosed April 2026 via GitHub advisory.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Completely free, community-driven
  • Ease of use: 2/5. Reviewers split; one would not recommend
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Users call it most complete and organized
  • Support quality: 2/5. Volunteer-run; forum support only
  • Security posture: 2/5. Critical 9.1 CVE in web API
  • $0 Price Completely free, community-driven
  • GPL-2.0+ License Open source, code on GitHub
  • Windows / Linux Platforms Also via Snap and Microsoft Store
  • CVSS 9.1 Critical CVE CVE-2026-40258, Gramps Web API, Apr 2026

Pricing

Gramps (all of it)

$0

  • Completely free, community-driven
  • Desktop app plus self-hosted Gramps Web

Security

One critical CVSS 9.1 path-traversal CVE in the Gramps Web API (April 2026); desktop app not implicated in reviewed sources.

  • CVE-2026-40258 — Zip Slip path traversal in Gramps Web media archive importPath traversal (CWE-22) in the Gramps Web API media archive import, rated critical at CVSS 9.1 by multiple databases; disclosed April 2026 via GitHub advisory.⁷

What users say

Users praise Gramps as the deepest tool in its category but note it is volunteer-run and divides opinion on usability.

“In summary, I would not recommend GRAMPS”
Genealogy Software no1reviews user review
“GRAMPS is the most complete and organized software”
Reddit, r/gramps
“Biggest thing to remember is that it is a volunte...”
Reddit, r/gramps
Full analysis

Based on ~20 public sources; many snippets truncated, so ratings and quotes are partial.

Free, deep open-source genealogy tool for serious hobbyists; steep curve, volunteer support, recent web CVE. Casuals: look elsewhere.

Methodology

Based on ~20 public sources; many snippets truncated, so ratings and quotes are partial.

Sources

  1. Gramps (software) — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    official
  2. Gramps-Project.org Costs & Featuresgenealogy-software.no1reviews.com
    review
  3. Gramps-Project.org User Reviewsgenealogy-software.no1reviews.com
    review
  4. Why is Gramps not commonly used? — Reddit r/grampsreddit.com
    review
  5. GRAMPS is the most complete and organized software — Redditreddit.com
    review
  6. Gramps Web Frontend — GitHubgithub.com
    official
  7. GHSA-m5gr-86j6-99jp — Zip Slip Path Traversal advisorygithub.com
    security
  8. CVE-2026-40258 Detail — NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  9. Gramps on Snap Storesnapcraft.io
    official
  10. Gramps Reviews — SourceForgesourceforge.net
    review

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