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.

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The Bad

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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.)

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The Bottom Line

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.

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Denise Tornga Wyoming, MI

I was very surprised to find my family roots. We moved to a bedroom community in 1984 called Ada, and then 20 yrs later moved further out into the country to Vergennes Twnsp. I was given my Ancestry acct for my birthday. I found my GG Grandparents farm in Ada,not 1mi from my former home. They bought the property in 1860 from the Indians along the Grand River. I found my GGGGrandparents in Vergennes Twnsp, arriving in1852. Their farm is 2mi due west of my present home. When we moved here, I really felt as if I finally was home. Now I know why. There is so much history in this part of my family, I could go on and on. I was so proud to have come from such hard driven good people.

11 years ago

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Mary Chillicothe, MO

I have been a member of Ancestry.com since 2007, sometimes paying for the membership (last 3 yrs) and sometimes not. I just read the reviews of the 3 people that has posted and had to comment. You have to read everything when purchasing anything online, even the fine print!! It tells you that if you dont cancel, you will get charged! The membership is a lil pricey but what price would you be paying if you had to drive or order a copy of something that Ancestry already offers at their site that is included in the membership fee. (example: my 4x grandfathers marriage certificate from Ohio, its on Ancestry, if i were to drive their, 9 hrs one way + gas + food + place to stay-over-night + 9hrs to get home + gas + food) this doesn't even include the expense of any copies you want from the count house or library or historical society. It is already adding up! $ ! I have 7 different family trees on Ancestry, only 2 is mine, the other 5 are friends that ask me to help find their families lost past. In the 7+ yrs that I have used Ancestry.com, i have never encountered any problems with the site itself or their information they offer. Ancestry.com is always my go-to site for anything related to genealogy!!!! Everyone should visit Ancestry.com at least once in their lifetime. **Incredible discoveries awaits you at Ancestry.com** Thanks!!!!!

11 years ago

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Will T

Ancestry.com continues to roll outr new innovations, such as a kind of rating system for each of its hints that the user can check off various factors indicating why he or she approved, questioned, or dismissed the hint. (This feature is selectable by the user). With advances in DNA technology, new data is continually pushed out to assist users in locating relatives, which has ben a very useful feature. Overall, the web site is highly interactive and can provide a wealth of information.

7 years ago

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Glenda Channel Kansas City, KS

I have been a subscriber to Ancestry since the very beginning and have generally found it to be excellent. However, the recent changes to the search function appear to have been implemented for the sole purpose of "looks" not for ease of use. Were any end users involved in this change????? Also, the print function is ridiculous. I have not seen printing like this (small picture in the middle of a full sized page) since the late 1980s when vendor software was in the early development stages. Is this printing problem because the new Ancestry is not compatible with Family Tree Maker (the software I use)? Sometimes changing for the sake of change (or appearing to change) is not as helpful as you might imagine.

11 years ago

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Charlotte Gogola Houston, TX

I've spent many pleasurable, fascinated hours on ancestry.com. I traced my ancestors back to English royalty, assuming the links that I borrowed from other people's trees are accurate. And that's the only gotcha on ancestry.com: you have to be careful whose links you adopt in your tree. Otherwise I have nothing but good things to say about ancestry, and they seem to be getting better with age.

11 years ago

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Susie Labry Hammond, LA

I love ancestry.com and have had it since 1999, when I created my tree and have been adding to it since then. Love their photos, stories, and citations. Very manipulative and love their technology, networking, and connectivity I love their leads and they do perform miracles and enabled me to do what I did. Their leaves are the most fascinating thing in the world to me. A great place to keep my records, history, stories, etc. It is beautiful. It is the best! Mary S. Susie Labry (Migneault dit Labrie)

11 years ago

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Thomas C Saint Petersburg, FL

I have been a member of ancestry.com for a few years now. I thoroughly enjoy utilizing this product. First, I have learned a great deal about my family tree. I've obtained a lot of valuable information via the U.S. Census, state census records (mostly from NY, NJ, and PA), military records. However, it is quite frustrating that death records are not available unless your purchase them (such as NY death certificates). Second, I've met many distant cousins via ancestry.com. We've exchanged information, as well as old family photos. This has been very exciting to catch up with relatives I never even knew or thought existed. I recently became acquainted with the new release of ancestry.com, which incorporates historical data into your family tree. This is an excellent feature, and a great addition to ancestry.com. However, where is the "share" on Facebook feature? It appears to be gone. I called the ancestry.com customer service number, and they were unable to assist me with locating the option to share my ancestry.com information on Facebook. In my view, this is a lost opportunity for free marketing and advertising for ancestry.com. Basically, I am happy with the ancestry.com product. Of course, as any novice genealogist, I hit dead ends in my researching efforts. However, the benefits far outweigh the costs and frustrations associated with this unique product.

11 years ago

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Linda Smith Daytona Beach, FL

My mother passed away approximately 20 years ago and at that time, I didn't know of any living relatives that I had ever met or known. I was curious and so I tried Ancestry.com on the free trial basis. I could never find anyone this time, so I left a message asking that if anyone had any info regarding my mothers' family to please contact me - so I left my email. I waited but I never saw any response, so I gave up. Then 10 years later, my daughter got on Ancestry.com and put my mothers' name in and she saw my message along with a message from someone with information. She told me about it and so I got on it again - never found the message she was telling me about; however, I did come across something that opened the secret door. I contacted this person by email and gave some specifics about the family. She contacted me back and asked some questions that I answered. I hit the jackpot!! She gave me access to her family tree and when I got on it, I couldn't believe my eyes. I never saw so many relatives - from my Great Great Grandfather all the way down to 3rd cousins. I was able to contact one of my 2nd cousins that lived only 3 hrs from my home and we met for the very first time. I couldn't believe how much she and my mother resembled each other. From this point, I met her children and also drove up North to Vermont to meet other relatives at the Family Reunion they have every two years. I highly recommend Ancestry.com as it is very informative and easy to use.

11 years ago

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Sharon Howell Colorado Springs, CO

I LOVE Ancestry.com! I have been able to trace my, and my husband's, line back to Charlemagne. I have first cousins I did not know were out there. I found that the stories I was told since I was a child of family coming over on the Mayflower are actually true! Not only that they're true, but my ancestor was one of the captains. We have had some financial problems with our business so I can't afford Ancestry right now, but I can't wait until I can renew my membership again. I've gotten LOTS of hints I want to see. Sharon Howell

11 years ago

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Sue Vest Tyler, TX

I was able to find my moms father and the sisters and brothers she never knew she had because of this company. I have found a lot about my fathers moms side of the family and well really I have learned a great deal. I do think it is worth the money. To me it is sad to think that all those who I am a part of are forgotten. But they are important to me for with out them .... So it is great to find my way back in time and sort of meet with family.

11 years ago

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Steve Anderson Lindon, UT

I have used Ancestry.com for several years now and I am 100% head over heals in love with this company. They have literally changed my world. They offer two different services. First, they are am AMAZING record collections service. I use Ancestry in conjunction with FamilySearch. The two of them can help me find almost anything. I have extended my ancestral lines back many generations because of Ancestry.com The second service they offer is their DNA testing services. Doing my own family research, I found out that me and my 8 brothers and sisters are not the biological children of the man who raised us. Yes, that was a real shocker to all of us. Through the use of AncestryDNA, I was able to locate the families of all but 2 of us 9 children. This is a truly amazing company. By the way, their customer support is great. They were so helpful and pleasant to work with.

7 years ago

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Tami Allen Gilbert, AZ

I have used Ancestry.com for years to find out more about my ancestors and my history. But recently, I had the opportunity thanks to my kids, to use Ancestry DNA testing. This was a really cool experience, to go to the website and see my DNA, and see people who also had their DNA tested and are related to me. I also found out that I was wrong about where many of my ancestors came from, and it gave me new information that I could search that would point me in the right direction. Ancestry is great for searching your family history, finding your ancestors, and connecting with ancestors you might not even know that you had! I love it.

8 years ago

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Kaylee Gay Columbia, MO

I love how easy it is to get DNA results for your family history. All you have to do is mail-in DNA kits to get your whole family genealogy. I love history and it is very important to me to know the background of my family. These results can shape your identity. I also love how easy the website is to navigate. The kits tell you who you are connected to.

4 years ago

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Abigail Land Tallahassee, FL

Easy to use and connect with relatives and build your family tree. Accessing documents such as the census or birth certificates is simple on the website. It connects the DNA portion as well and connects you to guaranteed relatives.

4 years ago

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Morgan Tennant Rexburg, ID

Ancestry.com is the family history website in which I've spent most of my time digging up information about my ancestors. Though I didn't start out with much information, their tips and tricks have helped my research flourish!

5 years ago

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JJ Jenkins Phoenix, AZ

Ancestry is the best way to search out my ancestors using the internet. I have been able to find hundreds of my ancestors through using the family tree feature. It is simple. And easy to do genealogy research using this great online platform.

5 years ago

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Eddie Rios Ogden, UT

Ancestry.com is the leader in genealogy programs. It provides with in depth results that change the game. I have been so impressed with level of detail, that no other service comes close. Relevant info and documents are a real treasure when doing this kind of research. And Ancestry.com does it best!

6 years ago

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Arlene Cleet

Good. In the beginning they sent me names of possible connections. I have been communicating back and forth giving them info and they send me back info. Now whenever they find someone who could be related to me, I get the info and follow up on it.

7 years ago

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Tanner Cook Gilbert, AZ

I got my mom a six-month ancestry membership for her birthday, and since then her and I have been addicted to tracing back our family tree and see as far back as it goes. It’s really cool to see where my family is come from, and this was well worth it!

7 years ago

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Connie Barnwell Williamston, SC

I have been a member off and on for about 10 years. It is very expensive. I think they are making a big amt of $ from the info members put in there tree. If it were not for members information I am not sure they would so great. One has to really watch the hints with the little green leaf. The hints are what others have posted and not always correct. Old documents , such as deeds, marriage licenses etc, have names miss spelled. The person filling out the document in early periods spelled by sound. They are so popular now I think they could lower the price considerably. It would draw more customers to provide more information. I have found people using my pictures and getting credit for sharing. Some have been cropped but still the original poster should get credit .

8 years ago

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Dale Ash Sandy, UT

I have had a lot of success finding family records and documenting marriages, births, deaths and other events. The site is easy to use. I've been able to connect with distant cousins regarding family research. The DNA test was inexpensive but hasn't helped me to connect to other family lines.

8 years ago

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Cassidy Gundersen Orem, UT

I have used Ancestry.com for several years. It is one of the best resources that I have found to do family history. It is organized, easy to use and navigate and has more files than any other system that I have been able to find. It is helped me find a lot of my ancestors and their customer service is incredible. They are helpful and friendly.

8 years ago

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Christopher Haueter Salt Lake City, UT

Ancestry is a really cool business and I love what they do. It was very exciting to send in my DNA so that I could find out where my DNA comes from. It was fun to share with family and friends. It did take a while to get but they have gotten really busy recently and are pretty backed up so you can't expect them to be really quick.

9 years ago

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Judy Saunders Bridgeport, CT

I began using Ancestry first around 20 years ago and have found more information about my family than I ever expected to. I've connected with family members I never knew from as far away as England. Ancestry is well worth the money!

11 years ago

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gaineslsmith FL

I subscribed to Ancestry.com for years and love the site very much. I have my family trees on public member trees as I feel that I should share what I have found.I recommend Ancestry.com to any and everyone who is a serious family history researcher.

11 years ago

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Michelle Crossville, TN

The service is rather expensive now that I added the premium services. I found valuable documents on Fold3. Never found anything usefully on the international search and will probably downgrade my service in the future. Also, I would like to see the ability to search specific criteria and not have to sort through millions of entries. For example if I am looking for a record in one state, I don't need to see possible records for other states. Even when I know there is info available and not being able to find it, is really frustrating.

11 years ago

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Jill Collier Red Oak, TX

Very affordable and have found tons of information for my husbands side of the family for his 92 yr old dad before he passed away. I did get very frustrated over not finding out what happened to his grandmother who I assume died around 1869 to 1870. The only records were of her growing up and getting married. We assumed she died giving child birth cause her husband re-married. I just want to know what happened to her. I am willing to give this site another shot. Ancestry will jump thru hoops to help you in every way!!

11 years ago

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CHRIS BUSCH Saint George, UT

I have used my" free two weeks" several times over the years, and just never could afford to subscribe until this year. I had to be ready to clear my calendar when i got it, because i knew i would binge, and lordy i do!! It is very expensive, and i am really curious about the price that some people here are mentioning. they must have bought in when it was much cheaper. I am hesitant to put my family tree here, because I don't know how long I can afford it, and i don't want to do all that work for nothing. I have found unknown relatives, and am in contact with three "cousins" on my dads side that were a total surprise. So it has been a fantastic resource, and it is better than anything else I have found out there. I have just about finished with my family here in the states, and then I need to save up to start working on Canadian, Irish and Scottish relatives!! One other issue, I tried the new format, and really disliked it. Thanks for giving me the option to switch back to the first one I was using. Far too much fluff on the new one.

11 years ago

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Roy Martin Auburn, IN

Very helpful in pursuing my genealogy, and has helpful hints on how to evaluate the data collected. By making new data available periodically, it is worth maintaining a membership. I also use the Family Tree Maker software, a product of Ancestry.com which interfaces well with the online version.

11 years ago

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Sandy Las Vegas, NV

I love Ancestry.com - I have used it for 10 years and will continue with it for as long as I am able to afford it. Ancestry has more information than any other site. I've been on lots of others, free and pay sites. None compare to Ancestry.com

11 years ago

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Marjorie A Schirmer CA

I have had so much fun and learned more about my family than I ever expected! Ancestry.com is such a great tool. I remember how excited I got when I found my great-great-Grandmother. It is such a thrill. I will give you a warning, this may be addictive. =) Have fun! Marg Schirmer

11 years ago

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Virginia Barnett Mabelvale, AR

I love Ancestry.com for so many reasons. I have found so much on so many family members and found so many family members I had never heard about. There are so many ways and places you have the option to use. When I post photographs and someone copies it, I can check their site to see if they have something I did not have or know. I also have done the DNA and it has proven to be right on with my relatives. I am never bored because there is so much to do on Ancestry.

11 years ago

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Glenda Channel Kansas City, KS

I think Ancestry has been a real boon to family research. They add more records all the time and it is so cost effective for me to use this instead of traveling around to various court houses. Although some might consider the cost too high, it only averages about $3.89 a week.

11 years ago

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Sue Mulberry, FL

I have used Ancestry.com for about 25 years. The improvements over the years have been fantastic for researching. I also teach Researching your Family History and use Ancestry as my main tool to research. Thank you for all the work that goes into putting all those records and information on your website. I have recommended Ancestry to many people to help them with their family search.

11 years ago

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Anne Hornbeck Flat Rock, MI

Since finding Ancestry.com I feel very fulfilled. I love knowing exactly who I am and where I came from. I feel connected to people that I would have loved to have known and I feel them with me everyday. I feel like a whole other world has been opened up for me and I am very grateful.

11 years ago

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Bonnie Smith Franklin, OH

I love Ancestry.com!! Have been using their site since 1997 when I first became interested in researching my ancestors. The site is easy to navigate. One caution is sometimes it will give you the same info 2 or mores times and before you know it you have added one person three times so I find myself erasing as fast as I add at times. I love the way they can add lots of dates with the click of a button! You need to weigh the accuracy of family trees because sometimes the info is not corredt. But overall it is my very favorite genealogy site to use!!

11 years ago

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Korinne C Riverton, UT

I love Ancestry.com and love their DNA services. I've found cousins that I needed some questions answered from and have found them through Ancestry.com. The DNA feature is great and I love that it can slightly change with more data to analyze. I paid a little more for the health DNA to make sure I didn't have a specific gene and it was simple to do and find.

4 years ago

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Richard Cunningham Sandys Parish, SA

This is an extremely easy website to use. I have been using it for years and took a break after a few. When I came back I discovered that other people had been populating the site and found out that I had distant relatives that moved to the USA from Ireland. It provides documents if you are a paid member and also gives the opportunity to make detailed timelines of your family. Def recommend. Only downside is - its very addictive!!

4 years ago

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Valerie Beus Richland, WA

I’ve used Ancestry in connection with Family Search and the two together have been so great in helping me locate my ancestors. Ancestry will often contain information that I couldn’t find on other sites and it is pretty easy to use. You may need to play around the site for a bit to figure it out but it shouldn’t take too long and then you’re good to go!

5 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Crystal Logan, UT

I love this app. I use it often. My favorite is when they send me an email showing information about an ancestor. I received the WWI registery of my great grandpa who I knew and visited often as a child. I saw the hand writing, it was beautiful. I told my grandmother about it(his daughter) and she told me my great grandma must have filled it out.😜

5 years ago

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Victoria Fayetteville, AR

I got the ancestry test as a gift from my father for Christmas a few years ago. Not only did I do it, but my whole family did. I really enjoy this because I learned a lot about family members I did not even know I had and I got to reach out to them and learn about what my ancestors are like. If you are thinking about trying this, trust me it is worth it.

5 years ago

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take7 Sandy, UT

Excellent place to find your roots and explore your family tree. Does take a bit of time and money for subscriptions but if that's what you're into like I am then it is worth it. Sharing information across accounts and devices is easy and manageable. The interface is informational and helps you fill in missing links and information in your family tree. Gets pricey fast if you're looking to stick with it long term.

6 years ago

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Miles Strother American Fork, UT

Ancestry.com is the perfect site for creating your own family tree, protecting it from other users, and looking up information on your ancestors. Ancestry always seems to have the widest collection of records, so it's great for research, and also has the ability to view other people's trees, which can be very helpful in researching ancestors and verifying information.

7 years ago

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kristin Gneiting Pleasant Grove, UT

For a small fee I was able to join ancestry.com and research my genealogy. It is amazing to also discover my own DNA testing and the resources available to discover where my bloodline dates back is amazing. It's worth the small fee to begin a journey of discovering who you really are. You learn so much about yourself by researching your family line. I highly recommend ancestry.com.

7 years ago

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Anne Sainsbury Payson, UT

Last year I received an Ancestry DNA kit for Christmas. I have am amazed that they are able to find so much information about you and your family through these kits. I would recommend them to anyone. The online site helped me to see all of my results and to understand better my story. I received great customer service and the product has brought me much closer to my family. This is one of the coolest family history tools out there!

7 years ago

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Ashley Pleasant Grove, UT

Ancestry.com is the place to find out about your own DNA as well as your genealogy history, vital records, census records, and the support center is amazing. I couldn't believe that there are over 20 million member of ancestry.com. I am a firm believer in taking a DNA test to uncover your origins because it helps you understand who you are and where you come from! Its so inexpensive and easy to do! Try it today!

7 years ago

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Jennifer Ogden, UT

I have always really enjoyed doing genealogy but it wasn't until I found ancestry.com that I got absolutely hooked. The resources they offer will blow your mind and even if you haven't ever done it before they have guides to help. It has been especially fun finding more and more relatives and seeing who in history I am actually related to. I would recommend anyone to ancestry.com.

7 years ago

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wayne sanders Valley Center, CA

Ancestry is one of my go to sites for genealogy. This site is easy to navigate and has always been full of information that is pertinent to what and who I am looking for. I have also come up with names that I wasnt even aware that they were connected to me. I feel like the site is always updated and full of new names to discover each time I visit it.

7 years ago

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Lindsey B Orem, UT

Great service especially for the price. The website is very easy to navigate and use. You can quickly find out things about your ancestors that you may have otherwise never known. If you have any questions their website FAQ's are very helpful and customer service is always willing to help also. I would recommend to anyone looking to know more about their ancestry.

7 years ago

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janalee sanders Valley Center, CA

Myself and many family members on my side use it quite often. I started using it because I had heard that they have given it great reviews when we have talked. we have had some interesting conversations about some really good information that they have uncovered. I will continue to use this site because there is always great family info to uncover. I have also recommended it to several of my friends

7 years ago