On Monday, FamilySearch released an updated YouTube video titled FamilySearch vs Ancestry: Which Should Beginners REALLY Start With in 2026? Predictably, and perhaps unsurprisingly given that the video comes from FamilySearch themselves, they recommend their own platform — though to their credit, the endorsement is not entirely without qualification.
CORRECTION: Chad R. Milliner from FamilySearch Ancestry informs that the authors of the video, Family Tree Support, are NOT part of FamilySearch. My apologies.
However, the more fundamental issue is that the question itself is the wrong one to be asking in the first place.
Before a beginner even considers which online platform to use, they need to establish a solid foundation for their research — and that foundation cannot be built by an algorithm or a database. It must come from the researcher themselves. This means starting with what you already know: your own memories, family stories, and personal knowledge of relatives both living and deceased.
The next step is to gather and carefully examine family documents. These might include copies of official certificates — birth, marriage, and death records — as well as old letters, diaries, photographs, immigration papers, wills, and any other paperwork passed down through the family. Such primary sources are invaluable, as they provide concrete, contemporaneous evidence that no online tree can replicate.
Equally important is the human element. Talking to family members, relatives, and family friends — particularly older generations who may hold living memories of people and events long past — can yield information that simply does not exist anywhere online. These conversations should be treated as research interviews, with notes taken carefully and stories recorded wherever possible. Always bear in mind the fragility of human memory.
Only once this groundwork has been laid does it make sense to turn to online platforms like FamilySearch or Ancestry. At that point, the beginner researcher will be far better equipped to evaluate what they find, spot errors, and build on a reliable base, reducing the risk of accepting whatever an online family tree or hint suggests.
You are spot on, John! Your approach is exactly what we had to do as researchers in the pre-digital, pre-online database times. It is still essential. Your post should be the start of a beginners FH course,
I agree with your comments, John. But when a newby needs to go on line, I usually recommend starting with the free FamilySearch before paying for Ancestry. Maybe that’s my Scots roots speaking. 🙂