What Is WikiTree and How Is It Different From Other Genealogy Websites?

WikiTree is a free, community-built global family tree where genealogists collaborate on a single shared tree rather than maintaining separate private ones. It's best suited to people who want their research to be publicly verifiable, connected to others' work, and preserved long-term — and who are willing to follow community standards in exchange. According to the site, it has been growing for 17 years and currently lists 1,420,721 community members, 46,511,696 ancestors and cousins, and 16,861,115 profiles with DNA connections.

The core idea: one tree, not many

Most genealogy platforms let each user build and keep their own tree. WikiTree inverts that: everyone contributes to one interconnected tree. The site describes its mission as advanced genealogists and casual family historians collaborating "on a global family tree for our cousins and descendants to enjoy for free, forever."

That single-tree model is the main structural difference. A person exists once on WikiTree, and multiple researchers improve the same profile instead of duplicating it across accounts. The trade-off is that you don't have a private workspace — your contributions are visible and editable within community rules.

What makes it different

Free, with a stated funding model

WikiTree states that everything on the site is free for everyone, forever, and that expenses are covered by unobtrusive advertisements. It also notes that members who sign the Honor Code don't see most of the ads while receiving member benefits that "cost money on other websites." If cost is your deciding factor, this is the clearest contrast with subscription-based genealogy services.

Accuracy through collaboration and sourcing

The site positions itself as "the most accurate & trusted collaborative family tree." In practice, that claim rests on two mechanisms: many researchers reviewing and correcting the same profiles, and an expectation that connections be backed by reliable genealogical sources. The site's Connection Checkers activity illustrates the norm — participants are asked to verify their relationship to notable people "with reliable genealogical sources" and to ask for help when needed.

DNA connections

WikiTree incorporates DNA testing alongside traditional genealogy. The site reports 16,861,115 of its profiles have DNA connections, which lets you cross-check documentary research against genetic evidence rather than relying on either alone.

Who it fits, and who it doesn't

A good fit if you:

• Want your research to remain publicly accessible and free to others
• Are comfortable with other people editing and improving your contributions
• Value source-based verification and are willing to cite sources
• Want to see how you connect to a large existing tree

Probably not the right fit if you:

• Need a private tree you fully control
• Prefer working alone without community review
• Want to keep research unpublished until it's finished

How to start

1. Search before you add. Use the person search to check whether an ancestor already has a profile — on a single shared tree, duplicates are the main thing to avoid.
2. Create or claim a profile. If the person exists, you can contribute to that profile; if not, you add them.
3. Sign the Honor Code if you want the member experience. The site states this is what removes most ads and unlocks member benefits.
4. Attach sources. The community norm, shown in its Connection Checkers instructions, is to verify relationships with reliable genealogical sources.
5. Ask for help when stuck. The site describes itself as a friendly community with a G2G forum and weekly Q&A, and explicitly says members help each other.

Expected result: your ancestor becomes part of one connected tree that others can find, verify, and build on — rather than an isolated file on your own computer.

Common sticking points

• Duplicates. Because everyone edits one tree, adding a person who already exists creates cleanup work. Search first.
• Public editing. Your profile text and conclusions can be revised by others. This is the design, not a bug.
• Source expectations. Unsourced additions are likely to be questioned. Come prepared to document claims.
• Not a DNA test vendor. WikiTree connects DNA results to tree profiles; it isn't where you order a test.

The short version

WikiTree is a free, ad-supported, single shared family tree built by a community that combines traditional genealogy with DNA testing. Its defining difference from typical genealogy sites is the one-tree, collaborative, source-oriented model — which is exactly why it suits researchers who want their work verified and preserved publicly, and why it may not suit those who want a private, individually controlled tree.