Gramps-project
Depends
Confidence: Medium
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.
New check
Comparison
Gramps-project vs FamilySearch
Gramps-project lands on Depends, and FamilySearch lands on Worth it.
FamilySearch
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
Use it: it is genuinely free with a deep record archive and the largest single family tree online.
| Compare | Gramps-project | FamilySearch |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Worth it |
| Best for | Serious hobbyist genealogists | Budget-conscious genealogists |
| Who it's not for | Casual users who want a quick, pretty family tree | Anyone wanting a private, locked-down family tree |
| Privacy | One critical CVSS 9.1 path-traversal CVE in the Gramps Web API (April 2026); desktop app not implicated in reviewed sources.⁷ | One confirmed 2022 breach, disclosed ~7 months late; MFA added from 2023; no other known issues. |
| Support quality | Volunteer-run; forum support only | No reliable support-quality evidence found |
| Public sentiment | Users praise Gramps as the deepest tool in its category but note it is volunteer-run and divides opinion on usability.⁴ | Sentiment is polarized: users praise the free records but frequently slam the interface, shared-tree edits, and site behavior. |
| Biggest gotcha | CVE-2026-40258: Zip Slip path traversal in Gramps Web media import . self-hosters must patch⁷ | Anyone can edit deceased ancestors on the shared tree; no private tree option14 |
Pick Gramps-project when
- Serious hobbyist genealogists
- Open-source and offline-first researchers
- Zero-budget deep family-tree projects
- Self-hosters wanting a web tree
When Gramps-project is not a fit
- 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
Pick FamilySearch when
- Budget-conscious genealogists
- Record hunters across global archives
- LDS Church members
- Hobbyists tolerant of a clunky UI
When FamilySearch is not a fit
- Anyone wanting a private, locked-down family tree
- Privacy-critical users who cannot tolerate breach history
- Beginners needing a slick, guided experience
- Users unwilling to learn documented quirks
Sources
- Gramps (software) . Wikipediaen.wikipedia.orgofficial
- Gramps-Project.org Costs & Featuresgenealogy-software.no1reviews.comreview
- Gramps-Project.org User Reviewsgenealogy-software.no1reviews.comreview
review
- Gramps Web Frontend . GitHubgithub.comofficial
security
- CVE-2026-40258 Detail . NVDnvd.nist.govsecurity
- Gramps on Snap Storesnapcraft.ioofficial
- Gramps Reviews . SourceForgesourceforge.netreview
- Does FamilySearch charge subscription fees?familysearch.orgofficial
- About FamilySearch . Free to Allfamilysearch.orgofficial
- Is FamilySearch A Better Site Than Ancestry? 2026familyhistoryfoundation.comreview
- 3 Reasons Not to Use the FamilySearch Family Treefamilyhistoryfanatics.comreview
- FamilySearch is a joke : r/Genealogyreddit.comreview