# Families vs RootsMagic

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.

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

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Families | RootsMagic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/families/id379619019/reviews)** | [3.8 (278 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootsmagic/id583724503/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **278** |
| Positive reviews | **60.0% of reviews** | 34.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 82 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Malcolm Green](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626972604) | [RootsMagic, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/583724506) |

## What reviewers say

### Families

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/families/id379619019)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Password option for security
- Printing capabilities (Ancestor/Descendant Reports)
- True automatic syncing
- Relationship calculator
- Ability to delete old database files


### RootsMagic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootsmagic/id583724503)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔌 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*