Family tree apps compared
The category contains at least three different products wearing the same name.
Short answer
Family tree apps split into three kinds. Record-driven genealogy services are built on very large historical archives and DNA matching, and are aimed at researching ancestors. Collaborative trees focus on one shared global tree that many people edit. Contact-first apps, such as TreeLinker, map the living family already in your phone and hold no historical records at all. The right choice depends entirely on whether the people you care about are alive.
The most common complaint in the category
Across reviews of genealogy apps, the recurring criticism is not accuracy — it is effort and speed. Pedigree views load slowly, everything has to be entered by hand, and there is often no compact list view for scanning names quickly.
Where a contact-first app helps
Starting from the address book removes the data entry that stalls most people in the first session. The trade is that you get no records, so it is a complement to a genealogy service rather than a replacement for one.
Three kinds of family tree app
| Record-driven genealogy | Collaborative global tree | Contact-first (TreeLinker) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Researching ancestors | One shared tree many people edit | The living family in your phone |
| Historical records | Very large collections | Some | None |
| DNA matching | Usually | No | No |
| Starting effort | High — type everyone in | High | Low — starts from your contacts |
| Phone contacts | No | No | Core |
| Relationship suggestions | Record hints | Some | From your own tree, with confidence scores |
| Caller identification | No | No | Yes |
| Price | Subscription | Free or freemium | Free |
| Offline use | Limited | Limited | Full |
TreeLinker is not a genealogy tool. If you need records or DNA, it cannot help you.
Frequently asked questions
Which family tree app is best?
It depends on whether your subjects are living or dead. For ancestors, a record-driven genealogy service. For the living family in your address book, a contact-first app.
Can I use both?
Yes, and many people should. They hold different halves of the same family.
TreeLinker — a family relationship management app.
Related pages
A family tree app that starts from your contacts
Most family tree apps make you type every name from scratch. TreeLinker builds the tree out of the contacts already on your phone, creates reverse relationships automatically, and suggests the ones your tree implies.
Family tree
An interactive family tree you can zoom and pan, built from your contacts, with colour-coded relationship types and automatic reciprocal links.
How to create a family tree
A practical walkthrough: start from the contacts you already have, link the first relationship, let the reverse one be created, and grow outward from there.
Start with the contacts you already have
TreeLinker is free on Google Play. No ads, no subscription, and your address book never leaves your phone.
Android. Free. No account required to browse your own contacts.