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How to make a family tree for free

By Family Linkage · Updated · 2 min read

Short answer

Use a free online family tree maker. On Family Linkage you press one button and start your tree, with no sign-up. A free account keeps it, and your relatives open it with a link, free and with no account. Paper and a printable template are free too.

What do you get for free?

On Family LinkageNo accountFree account
Start a treeYes, with one buttonYes
Open it on another deviceNoYes
Share with a linkNoYes, view-only
What relatives needA browser. No account
PriceFreeFree
A family tree in Family Linkage with 12 people over four generations: Robert and Margaret Miller at the top, their children and partners, grandchildren, and a great-grandchild, Lily Brooks.
A finished tree: four generations, laid out for you.

How do you make it?

  1. Open familylinkage.com and tap Start my family tree.
  2. Add yourself, then tap the plus on your card to add your parents.
  3. Create a free account to keep the tree and share it.
  4. Share a view-only link. Relatives open it on their phone. No sign-up.
The same family tree on a phone screen, with zoom buttons and an Add person button.
On a phone.
What a relative sees after opening a view-only link on a phone: the whole family tree, with no sign-in screen.
What a relative sees. No account, no app.

Other free ways

  • Paper: our free printable template.
  • FamilySearch: free with a free account. One shared tree for the whole world.
  • FamilyEcho: free, with ads. "No hard limit" on people.
  • MyHeritage Basic: free for up to 250 people.

Sources, checked October 17, 2026: FamilySearch, FamilyEcho FAQ, MyHeritage Basic. Compare them all in the best free family tree makers.

When do you need to pay?

Only when you want more. The free plan has some limits. Standard is $10 a month, or $60 a year, and adds multiple trees, no limit on people, photos, edit links and print files. Pro adds unlimited trees.

Questions people ask

Is Family Linkage really free?

Yes, to start. The free account costs nothing and asks for no card. The free plan has some limits. Pay only if you want multiple trees, more people, photos or print files.

Can I make a family tree without an account?

Yes. On Family Linkage, tap Start my family tree and add your first people with no account. On paper, use a printable template.

What happens if I stop paying for a plan?

The account goes back to Free. Nothing is deleted.

First published . Last updated . Written by the Family Linkage team. Facts about other websites were checked on the date shown next to them.

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Start your family tree today.

Start my family tree

Free to try. No sign-up needed.