Personal Ancestral File

Personal Ancestral File

Personal Ancestral File is genealogy software used to record family history information like names, dates, places, sources, notes and media. It allows users to build a family tree diagram and share data with others.
Personal Ancestral File image
family-tree ancestry genealogy-software

Personal Ancestral File: Genealogy Software for Family History Record

Personal Ancestral File is genealogy software used to record family history information like names, dates, places, sources, notes and media. It allows users to build a family tree diagram and share data with others.

What is Personal Ancestral File?

Personal Ancestral File (PAF) is a genealogy software program developed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is used to record and organize family history information such as the names, dates, places, sources, notes, and media files for ancestors. Key features of PAF include:

  • Building a family tree diagram showing relationships between ancestors
  • Recording vital details like names, dates and places of birth, marriage and death for individuals
  • Attaching source citations for facts to ensure accuracy
  • Adding photos, scanned documents and other media files
  • Generating custom reports, ancestor charts and family group sheets
  • Exchanging GEDCOM files with relatives and other genealogists to collaborate

PAF provides an easy way for anyone interested in family history to gather genealogical information in one place and share it with others. It is free and designed for use by laypersons without specialized training in genealogical research or computer programming.

Personal Ancestral File Features

Features

  1. Genealogy data management
  2. Family tree building
  3. Recording names, dates, places, sources, notes, and media
  4. Sharing data with others
  5. Reporting and charting tools

Pricing

  • Free

Pros

Easy to use interface

Free to download and use

Extensive documentation and support

Ability to import and export data in various formats

Cons

Limited modern features compared to newer genealogy software

Not actively developed or supported by the original creator

Requires installation on a local computer


The Best Personal Ancestral File Alternatives

Top Home & Family and Genealogy and other similar apps like Personal Ancestral File


Gramps icon

Gramps

Gramps is a free, open source genealogy program that allows users to record and organize their family history. Some key features of Gramps include:Flexible database to store information on individuals, relationships, events, locations, media files, sources, citations, notes etc.Generate different ancestry charts and reports to analyze family connections.Share data by...
Gramps image
GenoPro icon

GenoPro

GenoPro is a free genealogy software program for Windows designed to help users record and organize their family history. It provides tools to create genealogy charts and family trees to visually map out familial relationships and connections.Some key features of GenoPro include:Intuitive interface to add information such as names, dates,...
GenoPro image
Ahnenblatt icon

Ahnenblatt

Ahnenblatt is a feature-rich, free genealogy software program for Windows. It enables hobbyist genealogists to record, organize, explore, and share their family history.With Ahnenblatt, users can build illustrated family trees spanning many generations, recording key biographical details like names, dates, locations, occupations, and life events for each ancestor. Customizable data...
Ahnenblatt image
Family Historian icon

Family Historian

Family Historian is a feature-rich genealogy software program used to record and organize family history information. It allows users to track ancestors, descendants, family events, sources, media, locations, and more in an intuitive tree-based interface.Key features of Family Historian include:Interactive charts and reports to visualize ancestry dataMapping and geography tools...
Family Historian image
Legacy Family Tree icon

Legacy Family Tree

Legacy Family Tree is a full-featured genealogy software program used to build and organize detailed family trees. It offers extensive tools and features to help users research, record, and share their family history.Some key features of Legacy Family Tree include:Intuitive family tree building tools to add photos, documents, stories, and...
Legacy Family Tree image
Ancestris icon

Ancestris

Ancestris is a feature-rich, open source genealogy software used to record and research family histories. It allows users to build interactive family trees with advanced editing and layout options, attach photos, audio, video, and document files to individuals, and record key life events and facts.Some key features of Ancestris include:Support...
Ancestris image
Simple Family Tree icon

Simple Family Tree

Simple Family Tree is a free, easy-to-use genealogy program that helps you visualize your family relationships and preserve your family history. With its simple and intuitive interface, you can easily build an interactive family tree diagram and family website to share with relatives.To get started, simply sign up for a...
Simple Family Tree image
RootsMagic icon

RootsMagic

RootsMagic is a feature-rich genealogy software program used to record, organize, explore, and share your family history. First released in 2003, RootsMagic helps users build visual family trees, record ancestry details like names, dates, places, media, and sources, generate charts and reports for analysis and sharing, research ancestry records and...
RootsMagic image
Genealone icon

Genealone

Genealone is an open-source, desktop-based software application designed specifically for the analysis and visualization of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. It provides researchers with an intuitive graphical user interface to interpret and explore gene expression patterns across individual cells.Some of the key features of Genealone include:Interactive data visualization such as...
Genealone image
Family Atlas icon

Family Atlas

Family Atlas is a desktop genealogy software application designed to help users research, build, and visualize their family history. Some key features of Family Atlas include:Intuitive family tree building tools to add ancestors with details like names, dates, locations, media, sources, and notesInteractive charts and graphs like fan charts, descendancy...
GeneoTree icon

GeneoTree

GeneoTree is desktop and web-based genealogy software used for building interactive family tree diagrams to visualize ancestry. Key features include:Intuitive family tree builder to add ancestors with details like names, dates/locations of birth/death/marriage, memoirs, photos, and documentsTools for merging duplicate individuals and detecting inconsistenciesCollaboration features to connect with relatives and...
GeneoTree image