Ancestry.com boasts the biggest name recognitions in the family history field. This company, with headquarters in Utah and offices worldwide, has been the leader in delivering cutting-edge products to its subscribers since 1983. The early days of Ancestry were spent as a publishing company specializing in publishing family histories and magazines. In 1996, the digitization and online publishing of records began and Ancestry.com became a leader in digital records available for genealogical purposes.

• Records
• Mobile app
• Publishing options

Ancestry.com is perhaps the biggest name in genealogy work and for good reason. Some highlights include:

• Billions of records available to search from
• Ability to upload images, documents and attach them to family trees
• Mobile app works on all platforms
• Relevant blog articles giving up-to-date information
• Social Media presence with helpful tips and useful research information: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr
• Instructional YouTube videos for beginners as well as more advanced research tips to more seasoned genealogists
• Community message boards and opportunities to collaborate with others sharing common ancestors
• Comprehensive learning center
• Differing levels of membership based upon your individual needs
• Customer service representatives available 7 days per week from 9AM-11PM Eastern Time
• Publishing options for your findings
• Software and books available
• Industry-leading software which is easy to use
• Ancestry.com DNA tests are cutting edge and link members to their ethnic backgrounds, but to relatives also taking the tests. Adopted individuals have flocked to take these tests and many have found their birth families through Ancestry.com DNA matching.

• Pricing
• Load time

Ancestry.com is expensive and their pricing may be out of reach for some. The most comprehensive membership option has a hefty price tag of $199/annually.

Pages can be slow to load, depending on the traffic on the site. Additionally, there are regular late-night upgrades to the service which make the site inaccessible at those times. (The times and dates for updates are published on the site as a bar across the top of pages.)

For those able to afford an Ancestry.com membership, the quantity and quality of what is available surpasses the records by the for-profit competition in the field. Ancestry.com is a solid company with the resources to back up their claims and is constantly looking for new ways to innovate and stay on top of the competition. We recommend Ancestry.com and are confident they will help with your genealogy needs.

When purchasing a membership and setting up an account, setting privacy options can be tricky. One should explore the privacy policies very carefully and determine which settings are appropriate for their needs. Maintaining more private settings make collaboration more challenging (even impossible in some cases), so this information should be carefully considered.