TheGenealogist Reviews 8

I have been using TheGenealogist for several years now. In that time, it has become an indispensable part of my research toolkit. While many family historians default to larger, more heavily advertised platforms, my experience has consistently shown that TheGenealogist outperforms its competitors where it truly matters: intelligent searching.

The standout feature is its remarkably flexible Keywords search algorithm. In practical terms, it allows nuanced, imaginative querying in a way that simply is not possible on many other sites. You can combine names, occupations, addresses, descriptive phrases, and contextual clues in a highly adaptable manner. The system copes well with variant spellings, transcription quirks, and partial information — the everyday realities of serious genealogical research.

By contrast, Ancestry feels rigid. Its search tools can be powerful, but they tend to funnel the user down predefined paths. TheGenealogist, on the other hand, gives you room to think like a researcher rather than a data-entry clerk. When chasing elusive ancestors through mistranscribed census entries or poorly indexed parish records, that flexibility is invaluable.

The site’s coverage of UK records is particularly strong, and its mapping tools and address-based searches add further depth. Over the years, I have broken through several “brick walls” using searches that would have been impossible — or at least painfully inefficient — elsewhere.

No platform is perfect, but for anyone conducting serious UK-based genealogical research, TheGenealogist deserves far more recognition than it often receives. Its keyword search capability alone places it ahead of many better-known rivals. For me, it remains one of the most powerful and intelligently designed resources available to the modern family historian.

Ancestry and Geneologist are one of the same group, based in Jersey
These people are in my eyes are crafty. I thought I signed up for a one off to look up one relative and paid £14-95 looking at my bank statements recently Ancestry come Genealogy have taken over £60. After taking to one of the staff maybe the only staff member she said I ticked the box. Well we tick these little boxes all the time to except the cookies adverts. These people have robbed me in plain sight. So if you have had any dealing with this company check your bank statements and go back many years.
I visited my bank today and blocked them from taking anymore of my hard earned money.
Anthony Thomas age 86 years.

I am usually very careful at spotting automatic renewals but unfortunately didn't see this one until it appeared on my bank statement. Somewhat shocked I wrote an email to The Genealogist requesting a refund, I hadn't been notified and I hadn't authorised a payment.
I did get an email very promptly from them in which they wrote "The subscription that you purchased has a recurring payment of £79.95, as stated in the terms and conditions that you agreed to, and renews automatically unless a cancellation request is received from you."
So do be aware, obviously I missed this in their terms and conditions. But I do think it would be fairer to not make automatic renewals the default.
I wish I had looked at Trustpilot before as I see someone else was caught out like me. Very expensive mistake.

Just attended The Family History Show on 10 February which is organised by The Genealogist, you can attend in person, but they handily let you join in online. I have been a subscriber to The Genealogist for years now and I think they are the best website to trace your ancestors. You don't get thousands of hits when you input a name, you get down to the basic few which are relevant to your search. They never fail. They have a great map reader facility, and you can search the census street by street and there are lots more tools to help and if you hit any snags and contact them they are always available and able to help you out. Yep, definitely better than all the rest, I feel a song coming on!

I've rated The Genealogist at three because it might suit others more than me.
I have used Ancestry in the past but as that membership has lapsed, I thought I'd try The Genealogist instead using a free trial.
Positives: Search result groups are good (though a pain to collapse), Census records are clear (though 1939 images are not available), maps are great, with layers for vaious years - very nice, great date serch ranges.
Negatives: Very England and Wales focused, it's hard to drill down and shorten the list of results, far too may results for searches, even with wildcards.
I tested The Genealogist with some data I already knew and it struggled with immigration (mostly departures, very few arrivals), even when adding a date range, results lists are huge.
I've just cancelled the free trial after 24 hours and all appears easy in terms of cancellation so no issues (hopefully) as reported by others on Trust Pilot. Now off to try another website (e.g. FindmyPast) before deciding whether to revert to Ancestry to complement free sites such as FamilySearch, which is great by comparison.

Has some clever features, such as family search and especially the mapping. Very clear. Good that it's UK focused. But BMDs don't go back far enough. I'm using it alongside Ancestry, rather than instead of. I got a good deal on a 6 month subscription but not sure yet if I'll continue.

These people automatically renew your subscription having made it a condition (well hidden) that you must cancel in writing no later than 14 days before they take your money again. Anyone taking my money without my permission was always considered to be theft - when did that change.

Must have signed up for a free trial in a moment of madness and then forgot to cancel it. Used the site once and wished I hadn't bothered. Thereafter used the free Ancestry.com and Find my past sites offered by the public library. Found I had been charged £79 by TheGenealogist.co.uk for zilch.