Comparison
The Archivist vs other family history tools
Each tool shines in different scenarios. Use this quick chart to understand when The Archivist is the best choice and when you might reach for FamilySearch, Ancestry, StoryCorps, or MyHeritage.
| What matters | The Archivist | FamilySearch | Ancestry | StoryCorps | MyHeritage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Capturing living memories with transcripts, photos, and AI-detected relationships. | Building large collaborative family trees from public records. | Record lookups, DNA matches, and public tree building. | One-off interviews contributed to the Library of Congress. | DNA kits, animated photos, and global record matches. |
| Privacy & control | Private by default, invite-only, GDPR-first, full export/delete. | One shared worldwide tree; data is public and moderated by volunteers. | Trees can be private, but DNA data and tree hints rely on sharing. | Encourages public sharing; interviews may be featured publicly. | Trees can be private, but AI photo tools upload imagery to their servers. |
| AI assistance | Live transcription, entity suggestions, photo-to-memory linking, timeline summaries. | Minimal AI assistance. Manual research and transcription. | Hints generated from records; no conversational AI or live transcription. | No AI tagging or auto-transcripts; manual context needed. | Photo enhancement/animation; no AI for live conversations. |
| Collaboration style | Unlimited family members with roles (viewer/editor/owner) inside one archive. | Mass collaboration with anyone researching similar ancestors. | Invite collaborators, but primarily focused on individual research. | Primarily interviewer + storyteller. No shared archive. | Invite family to view/edit trees. Less focus on shared storytelling. |
| Data ownership / export | You own everything. Export audio, transcripts, photos, and timeline data anytime. | Content posted becomes part of the FamilySearch tree. | Data tied to subscription; exports available but require paid plan. | Recordings intended for StoryCorps archive; limited editing afterward. | Data stored within MyHeritage account; exports available with subscription. |
Quick answers
Can I use The Archivist alongside these tools?
Yes. Use FamilySearch/Ancestry/MyHeritage for record research and DNA; use The Archivist for living memories, transcripts, and a private archive.
Which option keeps everything private by default?
The Archivist. All memories are invite-only, and you can export/delete everything instantly. Most other platforms assume public sharing.
How do I move content over?
Download audio/photos/records from the other platform and upload them into The Archivist where you can tag people, add transcripts, and connect to your family archive.
Capture the memories those tools can’t
Use The Archivist when you want to hear a voice, tag who was mentioned, and keep everything inside a private archive that lives long after the conversation.