Tool profile
Geni: cost, fit and limits
Geni is a hosted family tree service owned by MyHeritage Ltd since November 2012 and based in Los Angeles, where users build profiles, add sources and photos and connect to the World Family Tree. Basic accounts are free.
What to know first
Geni has a free Basic account and a paid Geni Pro tier whose price was not published on the pages opened. Basic lets users build a tree, add relatives, share photos, videos and documents, add source citations and join groups and projects. Pro adds tree matches, merging into the world tree, research tools and premium support. No AI feature is named.
Geni at a glance
| Maker | Geni (owned by MyHeritage Ltd since November 2012), United States |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | Free for Basic accounts |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Genealogy Software in 2026, rank 9 of 10 |
| Website | geni.com |
Who Geni is best for
Relatives collaborating online
One tree can be edited by several family members, and discussion groups and projects give them a place to coordinate.
Users who want matches
Tree matches and record matches suggest connections to other users' profiles, which is the main value of a shared service.
People who want to try before paying
Basic is free, so a user can build a tree and see the matching features before deciding on Pro. Pro is the paid step.
Geni plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Build a family tree, add relatives, share photos, videos and documents, add source citations, join groups and projects |
| Geni Pro | Not published on the pages opened | Matching trees and merging into the world family tree, enhanced research tools and premium support |
| Free trial | Not confirmed | The homepage trial links pointed to # in the copy we fetched, so trial terms were not checked |
Checked November 2026.
What Geni does
- World Family Tree
- Users' profiles join a shared tree, so a person you add may already exist in another user's tree. A person you add may already exist in another user's tree, so profiles can be combined into one shared structure.
- Source citations
- Profiles can carry source citations, which makes claims traceable. Citations on profiles make each claim traceable to a document or record, which supports later checking by other users.
- Groups and projects
- Discussion groups and projects support collaboration among relatives and researchers. They give relatives a place to ask questions, share findings and split up research tasks, outside the profile pages themselves.
- Tree and record matches
- Matches suggest links to other trees and to records, available on Pro for merging. The pack lists them as Pro features for merging, so a free user may see matches but not act on them the same way.
- Smart Matches
- Profile data is matched with MyHeritage records. The page describes it as matching and not as AI. The vendor page calls it data matching with MyHeritage against records, and does not describe it as AI, so expect database matching.
How Geni handles your data
The privacy policy at geni.com/privacy and the corporate page are the sources read. The About page says Geni is privately held, based in Los Angeles, and part of MyHeritage. The pages do not state whether customer data trains models, where it is hosted or how long profiles are kept, and retention was not checked for this page. Because Geni's matching uses MyHeritage data, your profile information travels between the two services. Living-person privacy settings were not reviewed, so check them before adding recent generations.
Where Geni falls short in practice
- Pro price is hidden. The Pro price does not appear on the pages opened, so cost has to be checked at checkout. A buyer must reach the checkout or ask the vendor to learn the cost, which complicates comparison with other programs.
- Shared tree, shared control. Profiles can merge into a world tree, which means other users can affect data that started as yours. Shared profiles mean a relative or another user may edit or merge data that you first entered, which is a trade-off for collaboration.
- Linked to MyHeritage. Geni is a MyHeritage company and its matching uses MyHeritage data, so your data does not stay inside one service. Your profile and tree details therefore flow between two services, which matters if you prefer to keep research in one place.
Works with
Alternatives to Geni
Geni: common questions
Is Geni free?
Yes, Basic accounts are free and cover building a tree, adding relatives, sharing media, adding sources and joining groups. Geni Pro is a paid tier, and its price was not published on the pages we opened, so check it before upgrading.
What does Geni Pro add?
The vendor describes Pro as adding matching trees and merging into the world family tree, enhanced research tools and premium support. We did not find a price. The homepage trial links pointed to # in the copy we fetched, so trial terms are unconfirmed.
Who owns Geni?
The About page says Geni was acquired by MyHeritage Ltd in November 2012, is privately held and is based in Los Angeles, California. Its Smart Matches feature matches profile data with MyHeritage against records. Matching therefore uses MyHeritage data. The corporate page gives no further ownership detail.
Does Geni use AI?
The vendor pages do not name any AI feature. Smart Matches is described as data matching with MyHeritage, not as AI. Heredis and Family Historian are the programs in this ranking that name AI functions. Matching is database based. Treat any suggested match as a lead to verify.
Is my Geni tree private?
The pages we read do not describe living-person privacy settings in detail, and the privacy policy was not checked line by line. Because profiles can merge into a shared world tree, review what is visible before adding recent generations. Check the visibility first.