Episode Overview

Podcast: Family Tree Magazine Podcast
Episode: Comparing the Top Three Genealogy Websites – An Interview with Sunny Morton
Host: Lisa Louise Cook
Guest: Sunny Morton, genealogy author and expert
Date: March 1, 2025

Main Theme:
This episode delivers a thorough comparison of the three titans of online genealogy research—Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and MyHeritage.com. Host Lisa Louise Cook interviews author Sunny Morton, who recently published an in-depth article on this topic in the March/April 2025 issue of Family Tree Magazine. Together, they discuss how to evaluate these platforms, weighing the numbers, content, strengths, and DNA offerings to help genealogists identify the website (or combination of websites) that best fits their research needs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining “Historical Record” (00:51–05:30)

• Historical Record Definition: Sunny emphasizes the ambiguity in defining "historical records," noting each company may count records differently.
  • Quote: “A historical record is something...created in the past, hopefully contemporaneous to the time that our relatives were living...it’s old, Lisa. Yeah, it’s old. That’s what we’re looking for.” – Sunny Morton (01:18)
• Counting Records: There is inconsistency among companies regarding whether a document is counted as a single record or if each person mentioned within counts as an individual record.
  • Quote: “They might be counting a birth record three times. Yes, because it’s a record about a mom, a dad and a baby.” – Sunny Morton (03:18)
  • Extraction and AI advancements have increased the breakdown and enumeration of data points.
• Takeaway: When comparing “record counts,” it’s crucial to know what’s included: indexes, tree entries, extracted mentions, and more.

2. Comparing Record Numbers & Coverage (05:31–13:10)

• Ancestry.com: Approximately 60 billion total records; numbers are boosted by AI extraction from sources like city directories, yearbooks, user-submitted trees, and especially newspapers from the past two centuries.
  • Quote: “Those top 20 collections [on Ancestry] account for a third of their record total. So we’re talking US city directories, yearbooks, user submitted family trees...the explosion is thanks to the AI.” – Sunny Morton (05:43)
• FamilySearch.org: Estimated at 66.24 billion, including 13 billion searchable names and 5+ billion images not yet fully indexed; truly global in record acquisition.
  • Quote: “FamilySearch is a totally different ballgame. It really is. And first...because it’s free, so everybody...can harvest things from it...they say who’s researching their family history and what parts of the world have had some record loss.” – Sunny Morton (11:08)
• MyHeritage.com: Around 32 billion records; numbers are enhanced recently by mass newspaper indexing from their sister company OldNews.com.
  • Quote: “Their largest five collections...accounted for more than 40% of their total...they have started pulling over enormous indexes from oldnews.com...” – Sunny Morton (08:53)
• Geographic Focus:
  • Ancestry: Strongest for US and major immigration countries.
  • MyHeritage: More Eurocentric (especially continental Europe) and Jewish diaspora; less US-centric.
  • FamilySearch: Most globally diverse; focuses on underserved regions.
• Practical Advice: Always browse the website’s catalog before subscribing to ensure coverage matches your research region.

3. Primary Strengths “Elevator Pitch” (13:25–15:50)

Sunny summarizes the core strengths of each platform:

• Ancestry.com: Best for US-centric research, rich in US records and large user base.
• FamilySearch.org: Free, globally accessible, nonprofit with a vast, diverse collection; no subscription required.
• MyHeritage.com: Language translation and Eurocentric records make it invaluable for non-English and international connections; strongest language accessibility and innovative technology for matching.
  • Quote: “MyHeritage makes their site available in a lot more languages than any of these other sites. So that is also something to consider...” – Sunny Morton (14:04)
• Technology’s Role: All three are advancing in AI indexing, full-text search, and photo technologies, making records easier to find and understand.
  • Quote: “When I see genealogy posts from my friends on social, it’s all about...‘love that full text search. Look what I found’...that’s really important...” – Sunny Morton (15:50)

4. Photo & Image Technology (15:50–16:51)

• MyHeritage: Pioneering with advanced photo enhancement, colorization, and sharing tools—emphasizing the power of images in family history storytelling.
  • Quote: “MyHeritage really has invested so much in their photo technologies that are really fantastic...to make that really sparkle if you want to share those pictures with your relatives.” – Sunny Morton (15:50)
• FamilySearch: Implementing full-text recognition for records, opening up probate and handwritten documents for search.

5. DNA Comparison (16:51–23:47)

• FamilySearch: No DNA tools; focus remains on traditional and digital records.
• Ancestry.com & MyHeritage.com: Both offer robust DNA testing and analysis, including ethnicity estimates (with regular updates) and DNA matching.
  • Ancestry: Does not allow raw data uploads from other companies; users must test directly with Ancestry.
  • MyHeritage: Allows uploads of DNA results from other services, offers both free basic tools and $29 upgrades for advanced tools.
    • Quote: “MyHeritage will...take your upload from other companies. And there are a few basic pieces of information you get for free. And then for $29, you can get access to all of their advanced DNA tools per test.” – Sunny Morton (22:15)
• DNA Features: Both sites have developed nuanced tools to help users connect with cousins and understand their ethnicity. Tools and data are always improving; log in every 3–6 months to catch updates.
  • Quote: “You should continue to log in and look at those results...because your ethnicity predictions will change, not because you are any less Scottish or Mexican, but because the ability to understand...that’s all still evolving.” – Sunny Morton (17:14)
• Subscription Rotations: If on a tight budget, rotate between annual subscriptions, as hints and data accumulate over time.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Wait. Way to cut right to the chase. Start with the hard questions.” – Sunny Morton, on defining “historical record” (01:18)
• “Those billions aren’t going to help you quite as much right there...they’re more going to be more...recent records.” – Sunny Morton, about the timeframes most record ‘billions’ cover (06:41)
• “If you’re researching within the last 150 years or so, you’re going to love it.” – Sunny Morton, on AI-indexed resources (07:34)
• “My data is going to be, you know, my DNA is the same whether I test it with you or with somebody else.” – Sunny Morton, on raw DNA data uploads (22:25)
• “Just rotate your subscriptions...spend a year with one of them and exhaust everything you can there. And...when you get back to them...you’re going to have new hints...I think that's certainly a reasonable way to go.” – Sunny Morton (23:13)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:51 – What is a historical record? Defining records and differences between platforms
• 05:31 – Record totals and what makes up the “billions” at each site
• 08:53 – The impact of AI, newspaper collections, and global vs. US-centric content
• 11:08 – FamilySearch’s mission, coverage, and free access
• 13:25 – How to evaluate site strengths for your research needs
• 15:50 – Technology improvements (photo tools, full-text search, AI)
• 16:51 – DNA features: what each offers, upload policies, and research strategies
• 22:15 – Using raw DNA data across sites and subscription management
• 23:47 – Closing remarks and where to find more from Sunny Morton

Summary Table: Platform Strengths

| Feature/Platform | Ancestry.com | FamilySearch.org | MyHeritage.com | |------------------------|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------| | Record Volume | ~60B, US/immigrant focus | ~66.24B, globally diverse | ~32B, Europe/Jewish diaspora | | Geographic Focus | US-centric, major immigrant grps | Global, including underserved | European, global, multilingual | | Access Model | Subscription | Free (nonprofit) | Subscription, limited free tools | | Language Support | Some, less extensive | Some, growing | Extensive, leading in translation | | DNA Testing | Integrated, no uploads | None | Integrated, uploads welcomed | | Photo/Tech Tools | Strong AI, improving steadily | Full-text in development | Advanced photo tools, AI features |

Conclusion

This episode serves as a practical guide for genealogists at any stage, breaking down the strengths, limitations, and evolving technologies of Ancestry, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage. Key takeaways: consider the specifics of your research—region, time period, and language. Use technology to your advantage, leverage the unique strengths of each platform, and don’t hesitate to browse, rotate subscriptions, and revisit tools as features continually evolve.

For a deep-dive into the data or personalized advice, consult Sunny Morton’s full article in Family Tree Magazine (March/April 2025) or connect with her at sunnymorton.com.