Self-Hosted Alternatives to MyHeritage
Why Replace MyHeritage?
MyHeritage charges $129–$299/year for its subscription plans. The free tier limits you to 250 people in your family tree. The Premium plan ($129/year) unlocks Smart Matches and Record Matches. The Complete plan ($189/year) adds access to 19+ billion historical records. The Data subscription ($129/year) is records-only. Bundling everything costs $299/year.
Updated March 2026: Verified with latest Docker images and configurations.
| Plan | Annual Cost | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 250 people max |
| Premium | $129/year | Smart Matches, advanced tools |
| PremiumPlus | $189/year | + Historical records access |
| Complete | $299/year | All features bundled |
Beyond pricing, MyHeritage stores your family tree on their servers. Your genealogy data — names, dates, relationships, photos, documents — is entrusted to a company that’s been acquired and sold multiple times (most recently by Francisco Partners in 2021). Data breaches have occurred (92 million email addresses exposed in 2018). For deeply personal family information, self-hosting provides both privacy and permanence.
Best Alternatives
webtrees — Best Overall Replacement
webtrees is the most full-featured self-hosted genealogy application. It handles GEDCOM import/export (the universal genealogy data format), supports multiple family trees, includes relationship calculators, timeline views, interactive charts, and detailed individual/family pages. Multi-user support lets family members view and contribute.
| Feature | MyHeritage | webtrees |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $129–$299 | $0 (self-hosted) |
| Family tree size | 250 (free) / unlimited (paid) | Unlimited |
| Historical records | 19B+ (paid access) | Not included |
| GEDCOM support | Import/export | Full GEDCOM 5.5.1 support |
| Multi-user | Paid plans | Built-in (free) |
| Charts & reports | Yes | Extensive (pedigree, fan, timeline) |
| Privacy | MyHeritage servers | Your server |
| DNA matching | Yes (paid) | Not included |
| Media storage | Included | Your storage (unlimited) |
webtrees’ strength is as a family tree management and presentation tool. It doesn’t include historical record search — you’d use FamilySearch (free) or local archives for research, then enter findings into webtrees.
services:
webtrees:
image: ghcr.io/nathanvaughn/webtrees:2.1.21
container_name: webtrees
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "8080:8080"
volumes:
- webtrees_data:/var/www/webtrees/data
environment:
- DB_TYPE=mysql
- DB_HOST=db
- DB_PORT=3306
- DB_NAME=webtrees
- DB_USER=webtrees
- DB_PASS=changeme_webtrees_password
- BASE_URL=https://family.yourdomain.com
- WT_ADMIN_USER=admin
- WT_ADMIN_PASS=changeme_admin_password
depends_on:
- db
db:
image: mariadb:11
container_name: webtrees-db
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
- mariadb_data:/var/lib/mysql
environment:
- MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=changeme_root_password
- MARIADB_DATABASE=webtrees
- MARIADB_USER=webtrees
- MARIADB_PASSWORD=changeme_webtrees_password
volumes:
webtrees_data:
mariadb_data:[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host webtrees]
Gramps Web — Best for Existing Gramps Users
Gramps Web is the web interface for the Gramps genealogy research tool. If you already use Gramps desktop, Gramps Web lets you access and share your research from any browser. It syncs with the Gramps desktop database, so you can do heavy research locally and share results via the web interface.
Best for: Existing Gramps desktop users who want web access to their family tree.
[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Gramps Web]
Migration Guide
- Export from MyHeritage — go to Family Tree → Manage Trees → Export to GEDCOM. Download the GEDCOM file.
- Download media — separately download photos and documents attached to your tree. MyHeritage doesn’t include media files in the GEDCOM export.
- Import into webtrees — use the GEDCOM import tool in webtrees’ admin panel. Large trees (10,000+ individuals) may take several minutes.
- Upload media — re-attach photos and documents to their corresponding individuals in webtrees.
- Verify data — check that relationships, dates, and places transferred correctly. GEDCOM format is standardized but some platforms add proprietary extensions that may not transfer.
MyHeritage’s Smart Matches and Record Hints don’t transfer — these are proprietary features that depend on MyHeritage’s databases. You’ll need to continue research using free resources (FamilySearch, local archives) or your own records.
Cost Comparison
| MyHeritage (Complete) | Self-Hosted (webtrees) | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $299/year | ~$60/year (VPS) |
| 3-year cost | $897 | ~$180 |
| 5-year cost | $1,495 | ~$300 |
| Tree size limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Family members access | Paid per-user | Free (multi-user built-in) |
| Media storage | Included | Your storage |
| Historical records | 19B+ included | Not included (use FamilySearch free) |
What You Give Up
MyHeritage’s 19+ billion historical records are its primary value. Self-hosted tools don’t include searchable archives of census records, immigration records, military records, or vital records. For historical research, you’ll use free resources (FamilySearch has 7+ billion records at no cost) or visit physical archives.
DNA matching and ethnicity estimates are MyHeritage features with no self-hosted equivalent. If DNA analysis is central to your genealogy work, you’ll need to keep a MyHeritage account (or use AncestryDNA/23andMe) alongside your self-hosted tree.
Smart Matches — automatic suggestions of connections between your tree and other users’ trees — is a social feature that only works at scale. Self-hosted tools don’t have a network of other researchers to match against.
FAQ
Can I import my MyHeritage family tree into webtrees?
Yes. MyHeritage exports to GEDCOM format (Family Tree → Manage Trees → Export to GEDCOM). webtrees has full GEDCOM 5.5.1 support — import the file through the admin panel. Large trees with 10,000+ individuals may take several minutes. Media files (photos, documents) don’t transfer via GEDCOM — you need to download those separately from MyHeritage and re-attach them in webtrees. Relationships, dates, and places transfer well, though some MyHeritage-proprietary extensions may not map perfectly.
Is there a self-hosted alternative to MyHeritage’s DNA matching?
No. DNA matching requires massive databases of genetic samples to find relatives — this is inherently a cloud service that depends on network scale. MyHeritage, AncestryDNA, and 23andMe each have millions of samples that no self-hosted tool can replicate. If DNA matching is important to your genealogy work, keep a MyHeritage account (or use another DNA service) alongside your self-hosted family tree. You can do DNA analysis on a different platform and manually add discoveries to webtrees.
How many people can a self-hosted family tree handle?
webtrees handles trees with 100,000+ individuals without performance issues. MyHeritage’s free tier caps at 250 people — webtrees has no limit. The database is MariaDB/MySQL, which scales well for genealogy data. Storage requirements are modest: a tree with 50,000 individuals and thousands of media files might use 2-5 GB total. A $5/month VPS runs webtrees comfortably for even the largest family trees.
Can family members collaborate on a self-hosted family tree?
Yes. webtrees has built-in multi-user support with role-based permissions. You can create accounts for family members with different access levels: administrators, managers, editors, members, and visitors. Each role controls what data they can view and edit. This is better than MyHeritage’s model, where each contributor needs their own subscription. Share the URL with family members and they can add information, upload photos, and correct details — all on your server at no per-user cost.
Does webtrees include historical records for research?
No. webtrees is a family tree management tool, not a records database. MyHeritage’s 19+ billion historical records (census, immigration, military, vital records) are its primary differentiator. For research, use FamilySearch (free, 7+ billion records), local archives, or ancestry libraries. Enter your findings into webtrees. This is how genealogy worked before cloud platforms — and many serious researchers still prefer this approach because it forces verification of each source rather than blindly accepting automated “hints.”
Can I run multiple separate family trees on one webtrees instance?
Yes. webtrees supports multiple independent family trees on a single installation. Each tree has its own GEDCOM data, privacy settings, and user permissions. This is useful for managing maternal and paternal lineages separately, hosting trees for different branches of an extended family, or running a genealogy service for a local historical society. MyHeritage charges per tree on paid plans — webtrees handles unlimited trees at no additional cost.
How do I back up my self-hosted family tree?
Back up two things: the MariaDB/MySQL database and the media files directory. For the database, schedule mysqldump via cron (e.g., mysqldump -u webtrees -p webtrees > backup.sql daily). For media files, back up the webtrees data volume. Use Restic or BorgBackup for automated offsite backups following the 3-2-1 backup strategy. Your family tree data is irreplaceable — treat backups seriously. Test restoration annually to ensure backups actually work.
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