Comparison

Families vs RootsMagic

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Families

Manage and edit your family tree data on the go. This app syncs with desktop genealogy software, allowing you to view, edit, and add to your family files from your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. It supports various views, sources, media, and powerful search capabilities.

Highlights
  • Multiple family file support
  • GEDCOM and Legacy file compatibility
  • Create new family files
  • Family, Pedigree, Descendant Views
  • Source and location management
  • Picture and document attachment
  • Powerful search functionality
Features
Read full description

Families is designed to operate in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree, the leading Windows-based genealogy software from Millennia Corp. Your Legacy family files can be easily transferred to your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, enabling them to be viewed and edited wherever you are. Families supports the following functionality: - Multiple family files - Supports GEDCOM as well as Legacy files - New family files can be created from scratch - Family View, Pedigree View, Descendant View and Timeline - Relationships - Events - To Do Lists - Master and Detail Sources - Locations and Addresses, with mapping display - Alternate Names - Master Lists - Pictures, including the ability to add pictures from camera or photo album - Documents, audio and video files - Bookmarks - Powerful search options - Portrait and Landscape mode on all views - Supports Legacy 6, 7, 8 and 9 - Support for Legacy 9 features, including same sex relationships, hashtags and stories Families uses a highly efficient database implementation, allowing very large family files to be supported. Users have successfully displayed and edited files containing over 300,000 individuals on an iPhone. Families requires access to a Wi-Fi network or use of a USB connection in order to transfer family files between your device and your PC. Families requires a companion program running on the PC to transfer family files to and from the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. This program, Families Sync, can be downloaded free of charge from www.telgen.co.uk/families/sync. A sample family file is included. Support is available via support@telgen.co.uk.

About

RootsMagic

Access and explore your family tree on your mobile device. This companion app allows you to view your genealogy data, including media, notes, and sources, in various formats. It also provides helpful tools for research and organization.

Highlights
  • View actual RootsMagic files
  • Transfer files via iTunes/DropBox
  • Pedigree, Family, Descendant views
  • Search ancestors by name/record number
  • View media, notes, and sources
  • Relationship calculator
  • Perpetual calendar
Features
Read full description

Your family tree at your fingertips! Now you can easily take and show off your family history with you wherever you go. RootsMagic lets you carry your genealogy on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch! This viewer is designed as a companion product to RootsMagic, the award-winning desktop genealogy software which makes researching, organizing, and sharing your family history easy. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced professional, RootsMagic is the perfect tool for you! Features include: Files: * Uses your actual RootsMagic files- no conversion needed * Easily put your family history files on your device through iTunes or DropBox * Keep as many files as you want right on your device * Use the free desktop software to convert other genealogy files including PAF, Family Tree Maker, Legacy Family Tree, and GEDCOM into viewable RootsMagic files. Views: * Pedigree, Family, Descendant, and Individual Views to quickly explore your family tree * Browse people by surname and given names * Search ancestors by name or record number * View media, notes, and sources for people, families, events, and facts Lists: * Source list * To-do lists * Research Logs * Media Lists * Address Book * Repository List * Correspondence List * Place List Tools: * Perpetual calendar * Date calculator * Relationship calculator * Soundex calculator Note: Requires RootsMagic desktop family tree software or the free RootsMagic Essentials software to create, edit, or add to your genealogy files.

Screenshots

Families4 screens
RootsMagic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RootsMagic at Free against Families's $14.99. RootsMagic also leads on ratings volume (278 vs 10). Families's advantage is review sentiment (60% vs 35%). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

RootsMagic is free to download; Families costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.9 for Families against 3.8 for RootsMagic. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RootsMagic has 278 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Families's written reviews are positive against 35% of RootsMagic's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Families ships an update every 5 months, RootsMagic every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Families versus RootsMagic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFamiliesRootsMagic
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating3.9 (10 ratings) — better3.8 (278 ratings)
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews — better34.7% of reviews
Number of ratings10278 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMalcolm GreenRootsMagic, Inc

Customer experience

Families

All ratings10 ratings
Positive70.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative30.0%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative30.0%

RootsMagic

All ratings257 ratings
Positive71.6%
Neutral7.4%
Negative21.0%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive34.7%
Neutral12.2%
Negative53.1%

User reviews

Families

From 10 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great companion for Legacy
  • 🚀 Seamless syncing with Legacy
  • 👍 Easy to use on iPad/iPhone
  • 👍 Converts Legacy data well
  • 👍 Access to family tree on the go

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashing upon launch
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🐛 Syncing issues
  • 🐛 Confusing instructions
  • 🐛 Cumbersome transfer process

RootsMagic

From 278 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📱 Ability to view genealogy data on mobile devices
  • 🔍 Convenient way to access family tree information
  • 🗓️ Useful for family gatherings and research trips

Room to improve

  • 🔌 Requires external services like Dropbox or iTunes to sync data
  • 🚫 Limited functionality compared to desktop version
  • 📤 Outdated instructions and compatibility issues
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability problems

Bugs and requests

Families

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • Crashing upon launch
  • Crashes when adding pictures
  • Crashes when trying to add new data
  • Crashes when trying to open Legacy file
  • Crashes when selecting a picture from camera roll
Show 10 more
  • Crashes when attempting to place cursor into a text field
  • App flashes back to main screen on opening
  • Quit working after iPad OS update
  • Application hung up after data transfer
  • Cannot add a picture
  • Syncing issues with joint Apple accounts
  • Problem with multiple marriages display
  • RIN issue (historically)
  • Networking issue reported by users
  • App not working on specific computer configurations

Requested features

10 requests
  • Password option for security
  • Printing capabilities (Ancestor/Descendant Reports)
  • True automatic syncing
  • Relationship calculator
  • Ability to delete old database files
Show 5 more
  • Search function when viewing name list
  • Fan charts and ancestor/descendant reports
  • Larger font size on iPad
  • Bookmarks
  • Generic reports

RootsMagic

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incompatible with newer RootsMagic file formats
  • Inability to load or view database files
  • Crashing issues on various iOS devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Allow editing and adding data on mobile devices
  • Integrate with cloud storage services beyond Dropbox
  • Improve user interface and navigation

In-app purchases

None

Families

No in-app purchases

None

RootsMagic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Families free?
Families costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RootsMagic free?
RootsMagic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Families or RootsMagic?
Families is rated higher. Families averages 3.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while RootsMagic averages 3.8 from 278 ratings.
Do Families or RootsMagic have ads?
Neither Families nor RootsMagic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Families or RootsMagic?
Families ships an update every 5 months, and RootsMagic every 3 months. Most recently, Families was updated on October 22, 2026 and RootsMagic on October 21, 2026.

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