Software MacKiev
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Only buy if you are specifically committed to Family Tree Maker for desktop genealogy work synced with Ancestry.
New check
Comparison
Software MacKiev vs Ancestry
Software MacKiev and Ancestry both land on Depends.
Ancestry
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you're a serious genealogy hobbyist who will use the records database weekly . it's the category leader.
| Compare | Software MacKiev | Ancestry |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Serious hobbyist genealogists | Serious genealogy hobbyists |
| Who it's not for | Businesses or teams . pure consumer hobbyist software | Casual hobbyists with a shallow tree |
| Privacy | 2020 incident exposed private data of ~60,000 genealogy users; no newer incidents found in reviewed sources.⁶ | No current public CVEs; past incidents include a 2015 breach and a RootsWeb file exposing 300,000 users. |
| Support quality | BBB: 'terrible customer support'; users can't reach them | Support complaints recur on Reddit, Trustpilot, BBB |
| Public sentiment | 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.¹ | Users praise the record depth and tree tools but frequently complain about pricing, auto-renewals, and support.12 |
| Biggest gotcha | Users report waiting days to reach support; even Facebook groups ask how to contact MacKiev | Auto-renewing memberships; BBB records users refused refunds15 |
Pick Software MacKiev when
- Serious hobbyist genealogists
- Family Tree Maker loyalists
- Ancestry.com users wanting offline desktop trees
When Software MacKiev is not a fit
- 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
Pick Ancestry when
- Serious genealogy hobbyists
- Record-heavy US/UK research
- DNA match hunters
- Dedicated family tree builders
When Ancestry is not a fit
- Casual hobbyists with a shallow tree
- Budget researchers . free FamilySearch covers basics
- Privacy-wary users uncomfortable sharing DNA data
- One-time DNA testers who won't pay monthly
Sources
- Software MacKiev Reviews . Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
review
- The Software Mackiev Company Reviews . PissedConsumerthe-software-mackiev-company.pissedconsumer.comreview
review
- Genealogy Software Maker Exposes Data on 60,000 Usersinfosecurity-magazine.comsecurity
- Leak Exposes Private Data of Genealogy Service Usersthreatpost.comsecurity
official
- TreeVault Account Info and FAQs (official)support.mackiev.comofficial
- Family Tree Maker Connect . Google Play (official)play.google.comofficial
- How Much Does Family Tree Maker 2024 Cost?familytreemakere.comreview
- Trustpilot . Ancestry customer service reviews (36,681)trustpilot.comreview
- Family Tree Magazine . Ancestry subscriptions explainedfamilytreemagazine.comnews