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Should I use Software MacKiev?

Consumer software publisher best known for Family Tree Maker genealogy software - mackiev.com

Depends. Only buy if you are specifically committed to Family Tree Maker for desktop genealogy work synced with Ancestry. Poor support complaints, a 2020 data leak, and a years-late 2024 release make it a risk for everyone else.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~40 public sources incl. BBB, Trustpilot, Reddit, PissedConsumer, and 2020 security reporting

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo clear evidence in reviewed sources
  • Feature depthMixed 2024 reviews; no solid data either way
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Not disclosed

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed

Best for

  • Serious hobbyist genealogists
  • Family Tree Maker loyalists
  • users wanting offline desktop trees

Not for

  • Businesses or teams — pure consumer hobbyist software
  • Anyone needing responsive vendor support
  • Privacy-cautious buyers handling sensitive family data
  • Cloud-first users who want web apps, not desktop installs

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Users report waiting days to reach support; even Facebook groups ask how to contact MacKiev

high

FTM 2024 was promised then delayed well past 2025; expect slow release cadence

high

A 2020 exposure leaked private data on ~60,000 users; your tree data is sensitive

medium

Upgrade pricing and charges draw recurring complaints on BBB and PissedConsumer

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Owns and continues updating Family Tree Maker, a long-running genealogy standard
  • Offers TreeVault cloud services with Family Tree Maker 2024
  • Free Family Tree Maker Connect companion app on Android
  • Education volume licensing available for schools

Cons

  • 2020 leak exposed private data of ~60,000 genealogy users
  • FTM 2024 still undelivered in 2025 despite being promised
  • BBB complaints cite terrible customer support
  • Third-party review bluntly calls Family Tree Maker 'garbage'
  • Ongoing complaints on Trustpilot and PissedConsumer

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/29/2026 - 11 sources - 2020 incident exposed private data of ~60,000 genealogy users; no newer incidents found in reviewed sources.

official x3review x6security x2
  • User data exposure (2020), An exposed server leaked private data of roughly 60,000 Family Tree Maker users, reported July 2020 by Threatpost and Infosecurity Magazine.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • Not disclosed

    Starting price

  • 11

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. Billing and upgrade complaints on BBB and PissedConsumer
  • Ease of use. No clear evidence in reviewed sources
  • Feature depth. Mixed 2024 reviews; no solid data either way
  • Support quality: 1/5. BBB: 'terrible customer support'; users can't reach them
  • Security posture: 2/5. 2020 exposure of ~60,000 users' private data
  • ~60,000 Users affected by 2020 leak Infosecurity Magazine
  • $13.7M Funding per Crunchbase

Pricing

Not disclosed

Security

2020 incident exposed private data of ~60,000 genealogy users; no newer incidents found in reviewed sources.

  • User data exposure (2020)An exposed server leaked private data of roughly 60,000 Family Tree Maker users, reported July 2020 by Threatpost and Infosecurity Magazine.⁶

What users say

User sentiment is sharply mixed: hobbyists who commit to Family Tree Maker value its depth, but many report poor support, billing issues, and badly delayed releases.

“There's no other way to put it – MacKiev's Family Tree Maker is garbage”
An American Genealogy blog
“Terrible customer support”
BBB complaint
“Is "Family Tree Maker" software by MacKiev worth getting?”
Reddit, r/Genealogy
Full analysis

Based on ~40 public sources incl. BBB, Trustpilot, Reddit, PissedConsumer, and 2020 security reporting

Consumer genealogy software (Family Tree Maker): dedicated hobbyists only. Poor support, delayed 2024 release, 2020 data leak.

Methodology

Based on ~40 public sources incl. BBB, Trustpilot, Reddit, PissedConsumer, and 2020 security reporting

Sources

  1. Software MacKiev Reviews — Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  2. The Software MacKiev Company — BBB Complaintsbbb.org
    review
  3. The Software Mackiev Company Reviews — PissedConsumerthe-software-mackiev-company.pissedconsumer.com
    review
  4. Is "Family Tree Maker" software by MacKiev worth getting? — Redditreddit.com
    review
  5. A FTM 2024 Review, after 30 hours — Redditreddit.com
    review
  6. Genealogy Software Maker Exposes Data on 60,000 Usersinfosecurity-magazine.com
    security
  7. Leak Exposes Private Data of Genealogy Service Usersthreatpost.com
    security
  8. Software MacKiev — Family Tree Maker (official)mackiev.com
    official
  9. TreeVault Account Info and FAQs (official)support.mackiev.com
    official
  10. Family Tree Maker Connect — Google Play (official)play.google.com
    official
  11. How Much Does Family Tree Maker 2024 Cost?familytreemakere.com
    review

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