Using both FamilySearch and Ancestry can lead to more genealogy discoveries. Here’s how to use Ancestry along with FamilySearch (including Ancestry free or low-cost access options).
How Is Ancestry Different from FamilySearch?
Ancestry is a commercial genealogy company. With a free guest account, you can build family trees and gain limited access to historical records. Subscribers can pay for various membership packages (U.S. Discovery, World Explorer, or All Access) to view Ancestry's full collection of billions of historical records. Subscribers may also choose country-level subscriptions for Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Australia, Mexico, or the United Kingdom.
FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help all people connect with their family and draw strength from those relationships. Anyone can create a free account, which provides access to the world’s largest public family tree and billions of historical records from hundreds of nations around the globe.
Why Would I Use Both Ancestry and FamilySearch?
Some people already use either Ancestry or FamilySearch. They may wonder why they would need to use more than one genealogy website.
Both Ancestry and FamilySearch host billions of historical records. Some of those collections overlap, while others are only available on one site or the other. If there are collections unique to Ancestry and collections that are unique to FamilySearch, you will want to have access to all those resources so you can be lead to more family history discoveries.
Similarly, both Ancestry and FamilySearch have over a billion names in family trees from users. Some names overlap between the two website, but users have shared unique research discoveries, memories, documents, and photos on each ancestor. Whether you’re looking for records or tree connections, you should explore both websites.
Are There Low-Cost Options for Using Ancestry?
How can you use both websites, if paying for a subscription to Ancestry isn’t an option for you? So glad you asked! FamilySearch and Ancestry are working together to help people access Ancestry’s resources.
The FamilySearch Library, FamilySearch centers, and many public libraries give patrons free access to Ancestry Institution. Visit the FamilySearch Access Page to see what free or paid options are available for you.
How to Search Ancestry Records from Your FamilySearch Account
Once you've created an Ancestry account, you're ready to search for Ancestry records. Note that some of the search results you will be shown in Ancestry may already be attached to your ancestors in FamilySearch. Focus instead on reviewing records that aren't already in FamilySearch.
Follow the image instructions below to see how you can search Ancestry records from your FamilySearch account.
What if you’re searching for your ancestors on Ancestry and would like to see what’s on FamilySearch? Unfortunately, there is not an option to do so from within Ancestry. You will need to open a separate window in your browser and log in to FamilySearch.
How to Save Ancestry Records to FamilySearch Person Pages?
When you find a record on Ancestry you’d like to save back to a person page on FamilySearch, you’ll need to use the following steps:
- From the Ancestry search results, click on the record you would like to save to a person page on FamilySearch.
- Click on the Source tab and make note of the detailed information about where this source comes from.
- If the record has an image, click on the image. Once the image opens, click the Save button in the upper right, then click Save to your computer. (It’s best to rename and/or move the file to a folder on your computer where you will be able to find it again easily.)
- On your FamilySearch account, go to the person page you want to add the Ancestry record to. Go to the Sources tab and manually add the source from Ancestry.
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At FamilySearch, we care about connecting you with your family, and we provide fun discovery experiences and family history services for free. Why? Because we cherish families and believe that connecting generations can improve our lives now and forever. We are a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To learn more about our beliefs, click here.
