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Family Tree Maker Feature Checklist: What Actually Matters

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    MakeFamilyTree Team
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Many family tree tools sound similar at first. They let you add people, connect relatives, and export a chart. The differences become clear only after you try to make a tree that real relatives can read.

This checklist focuses on practical needs rather than marketing claims. Use it when choosing a family tree maker or deciding whether a simple browser editor is enough for your project.

1. Relationship Structure

The first test is whether the tool can express your real family structure.

Check whether it supports:

  • Parents and children
  • Spouses or partners
  • Siblings
  • Multiple children
  • Single-parent households
  • Blended or step-family layouts
  • Extended branches with aunts, uncles, and cousins

For many visual projects, you do not need a full genealogy database. You need a chart that lets viewers understand who is connected to whom.

2. Layout Readability

A family tree is only useful if people can read it. Auto-layout can save time, but it should not hide the structure or create tangled lines.

Look for:

  • Clear generation levels
  • Enough spacing between sibling groups
  • Relationship lines that do not collide with names
  • Pan and zoom for larger trees
  • A layout that still works after export

If the tool looks polished with sample data but becomes crowded with your own family, it may not fit your project.

3. Photo Handling

Photos are helpful when the tree is meant for relatives, reunions, memorials, or school projects.

Useful photo features include:

  • Uploading a portrait for each person
  • Cropping or fitting the image inside a card
  • Exporting photos clearly
  • Handling missing photos without random placeholder faces
  • Keeping image data private when possible

For privacy-sensitive projects, browser-local image handling is valuable because you do not need to upload family portraits to an account.

4. Notes and Fields

More fields are not always better. A visual family tree should avoid turning every card into a biography.

For a clean chart, the most useful fields are:

  • Name
  • Relationship
  • Birth year or age range
  • Short note
  • Photo

If you need full source citations, record transcripts, DNA match data, and detailed research logs, use a dedicated genealogy database alongside your visual chart.

5. Export Quality

Export is where many family tree projects succeed or fail. A tree that looks good in the browser may become unreadable as a downloaded image.

Before committing to a tool, test:

  • PNG export
  • JPG export
  • Transparent PNG export if you need slides or design work
  • Text readability after export
  • Line visibility after export
  • Whether the exported image includes the whole tree

Always inspect the exported file before printing or sharing.

6. Privacy Model

Family tree data can include living relatives, children, photos, birth dates, and private notes. Understand where that data goes.

Ask these questions:

  • Does the tool require an account?
  • Is family data uploaded to a server?
  • Can you work without cloud sync?
  • Can you remove sensitive fields before sharing?
  • Does the privacy policy explain ads, analytics, cookies, and local storage?

For simple visual charts, a browser-local editor can be a good fit because the current tree can stay on your device.

7. Templates

Templates are useful when they reduce setup work without forcing the wrong family structure.

Good template categories include:

  • Blank tree
  • Three- or four-generation chart
  • Five-generation ancestor chart
  • Extended family chart
  • Single-parent chart
  • Blended-family chart
  • Compact modern chart

Choose the simplest template that fits your purpose. A crowded advanced template is not better than a readable simple one.

8. Cost and Access

Some projects only need a one-time chart. Others require long-term research storage. Match the payment model to the project.

For a one-time visual tree, look for:

  • No account requirement
  • Free export
  • No trial pressure
  • Clear privacy policy
  • Easy access for relatives who are not technical

For long-term genealogy research, you may still want a paid research platform or desktop database. A visual family tree maker can complement that work by producing readable charts.

How MakeFamilyTree.org Fits

MakeFamilyTree.org is designed for visual family trees rather than full archival research. It is strongest when you need to:

  • Build a readable chart quickly
  • Start from a template
  • Add photos and short notes
  • Keep the current tree in browser storage
  • Export PNG, JPG, or transparent PNG
  • Avoid creating an account

It is not meant to replace source management, legal records, DNA tools, or professional genealogy databases.

Final Recommendation

Choose a family tree maker by the finished output, not by the longest feature list. If relatives can understand the chart, correct it, print it, and keep a copy, the tool is doing its job.

You can test the workflow with the free family tree editor or compare starting points in the template library.