MacFamilyTree Alternatives: When the Tree Outgrows One Mac
The software is not the problem. The file on one machine is.
Nobody leaves MacFamilyTree because it is bad. People start looking for an alternative when the tree is finished, or nearly, and the person who needs to see it next has a Windows laptop or an Android phone and no way to open the file. That is not a software failure. It is the natural end of a desktop tool's job, and the honest question is what the tree should be for the next twenty years.
What MacFamilyTree is genuinely good at
Credit first. MacFamilyTree 11 is a one-time purchase, US$69.99 for new users and US$49.99 as an upgrade as of September 2026, with no subscription behind it. CloudTree sync is included, so a household of Macs, iPhones and iPads can work on one tree in real time at no extra cost, and everything stays available offline on each device. The charting is the best on the desktop: fan charts, hourglass charts, a 3D globe of the family's movements, and narrative reports that read like a book. It imports the GEDCOM dialects of most other programs and talks to FamilySearch directly. If your research is active and your family is Apple, this is a strong place to be.
Where the .mft file stops
The limit is not the program. It is the container. A MacFamilyTree file lives on a Mac, and its sharing story is CloudTree, which is excellent but closed: every collaborator needs a Mac or iOS device and a copy of the app. The cousin in Ohio with a Dell does not have one. The niece who only owns an Android phone does not have one. For them the tree is a PDF you email, and a PDF is where family history goes to stop growing.
The second limit is privacy at the moment of sharing. MacFamilyTree lets you publish web reports, and it is up to you to remember which living relatives should not appear with a birthdate on a public page. A web-first tree can make that decision structurally: living people redacted from any shared link, every time, without you checking.
The honest comparison
| MacFamilyTree 11 | Family Roots Center | |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | US$69.99 once (US$49.99 upgrade); CloudTree included | Free to 50 people; $10/mo Starter, $19/mo Family |
| Runs on | macOS and iOS only (MobileFamilyTree on iPhone and iPad) | Any browser, no install; Windows and Android relatives included |
| Working offline | Yes, fully local with sync when online | No; it is a web application |
| Sharing with relatives | CloudTree: collaborators need a Mac or iOS device and the app | A link, with living people redacted automatically; invites on Family and up |
| Charts | Fan, hourglass, 3D globe, narrative reports; the deepest set available | Ten visualization modes including fan, sunburst, timeline and migration map |
| Getting data out | GEDCOM export, reports, PDF | GEDCOM, CSV, JSON, PDF, and a full ZIP with photos, on every plan including free |
| Built for | Researching and presenting, on a Mac | Keeping the family archive together, across every device the family owns |
How the export actually goes
In MacFamilyTree choose File, then Export, then GEDCOM, and save the .ged file. People, relationships, dates, places, events and notes travel in it. Photos do not, and this surprises everyone the first time: a GEDCOM carries links to media, not the media itself. Export your media folder separately, or expect to re-attach photos on the other side. Our GEDCOM guide walks through what survives the trip and what does not. The import on this side takes minutes; the switch page has the steps.
When to stay, and when to move
Stay with MacFamilyTree if the research is alive: if you are still adding sources weekly, still using the globe and the reports, and the people who care all own Apple devices. It is a one-time purchase and it earns its keep.
Move, or add a web archive alongside it, when the tree has stopped being a research project and become the family's record. That is the moment the audience changes from you to everyone, and everyone does not own a Mac. Keep MacFamilyTree for the deep work if you like. Give the family a link.
Questions people ask
Is MacFamilyTree a subscription?
No. MacFamilyTree 11 is a one-time purchase, US$69.99 for new users and US$49.99 as an upgrade as of September 2026, and CloudTree sync between Macs, iPhones and iPads is included at no extra charge. That is the strongest argument for keeping it if you are a Mac household and the research is ongoing.
Can I move my MacFamilyTree tree to a web-based family tree?
Yes. Export a GEDCOM from MacFamilyTree (File, Export, GEDCOM), then import it into the web tool. People, relationships, dates, places and notes travel in the file. Photos do not: GEDCOM carries links to media, not the media itself, so plan to re-attach photos or use a tool that imports a media folder alongside the file.
What does a browser-based tree do that MacFamilyTree does not?
It opens on any device without an install, including the Windows and Android relatives who could never open your .mft file, and a shared link can redact living people automatically. MacFamilyTree answers the collaboration problem with CloudTree, but every collaborator needs a Mac or iOS device and a copy of the app.
Should I switch from MacFamilyTree to Family Roots Center?
Only if the tree has stopped being a research project and become a family archive that non-Mac relatives need to reach. If you are still working sources hard, still using the 3D globe and the narrative reports, stay. If the file mostly sits finished on one Mac, a web archive with a redacted public link is the better home, and the export is a five-minute GEDCOM.
See a finished tree with living people redacted
Try it free