Free Alternatives to MyTrueAncestry: Getting a Real Family Tree Instead

MyTrueAncestry takes a DNA file you already have, from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage or similar, and compares it to published ancient genomes. You get told you share drift with a Viking burial at Birka or a Roman-era sample from Britain, and the deeper tiers cost money.

It is good fun. It is also worth being clear about what it is, because people looking for an alternative usually want one of three quite different things.

What it actually tells you

Ancient DNA matching works on population-level genetic similarity, not descent. A result saying you match a Scythian warrior does not mean he is your ancestor. It means your genome resembles that sample more than the reference set does, largely because you share ancestry with the same broad population. Two unrelated people from the same region typically get similar results.

That is a real signal about deep population history. It is not genealogy, and it will never put a name on your great-great-grandmother.

Pick your alternative by what you are after

If you want more ancient-sample comparison, free options exist: the G25 / Global25 coordinates ecosystem with community calculators, GEDmatch's free archaic and Eurogenes tools, and the various admixture calculators run by hobbyist communities. They are less polished and considerably more technical, and they are free.

If you want to find living relatives, no ancient-DNA tool does this. You need a matching database: AncestryDNA has the largest pool, MyHeritage and 23andMe are smaller, and GEDmatch is free and lets you upload a file you already paid for elsewhere.

If you want to actually know who your ancestors were, this is the one people arrive at last and it is the one that works. Ancient DNA gives you a population. A documented family tree gives you names, dates, places and photographs. The two are not substitutes, and only one of them can be handed to your grandchildren.

What you want	Free option	What it gives you
Ancient sample comparison	G25 calculators, GEDmatch	Population similarity, no names
Living DNA relatives	GEDmatch (upload existing file)	Matches, contactable
Your documented ancestry	A family tree builder	Names, dates, places, stories
Ethnicity estimate	Included with most test kits	Broad regional percentages

The honest order to do this in

Start with the living. The names, dates and places your oldest relatives still remember are the only part of this that has a deadline. Ancient genomes will still be in the database in ten years; your grandmother's memory of her grandmother's village will not be.

Write that down as a tree first. Then, if the deep-history question still interests you, the DNA tools are there and most of the useful ones are free.

Move your existing tree over in one step

If you have already exported your tree, you do not need to retype any of it. Drop the .ged file below and it becomes a browsable family tree straight away. It is free to view, and a free account saves it permanently and lifts the guest preview limit.

Not exported yet? The step-by-step GEDCOM export guide covers existing and every other major site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MyTrueAncestry accurate?

It accurately measures genetic similarity to published ancient samples. What it does not do is establish descent. Matching a sample means you share ancestry with the same broad population, not that the individual is your ancestor, and unrelated people from the same region typically get similar results.

Is there a free alternative to MyTrueAncestry?

For ancient comparison, the G25 coordinate ecosystem and GEDmatch's free archaic tools do much the same thing, less polished and more technical. For finding living relatives, GEDmatch lets you upload a DNA file you already have at no cost.

Does MyTrueAncestry build a family tree?

No. It compares DNA to ancient genomes. Building a documented tree of named ancestors is a separate task, and the two are complements rather than substitutes.

Do I need a DNA test to research my family history?

No. Most genealogy is documentary: names, dates, places and what living relatives remember. DNA is useful for confirming or breaking a hypothesis and for finding unknown relatives, but it is an addition to a tree rather than a replacement for one.

Download a Free Family Tree Template

Want to draw your family tree yourself? The My rOoOts Family Tree Template provides a free printable blank pedigree chart for documenting your family history across multiple generations.

👉 Download a free family tree template: Family Tree Template

Choose a 3-generation, 4-generation, or 5-generation family tree template and save it as a PDF for printing, writing, and documenting your ancestors.

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Create Your Family Tree for Free

Start building your family history in minutes with the My rOoOts Free Family Tree Creator. Add parents, grandparents, children, and relatives, organize generations visually, and create a beautiful family tree that you can save and share.

👉 Create your free family tree: Free Family Tree Creator

No design skills required. Simply enter your family details and generate a clear, easy-to-read family tree online for free.