6 Genealogy Buys That Are Actually Worth Your Money (+ How to Save on Them)

Last Updated September 13, 2024

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When compared to hobbies like car collecting, woodworking and golf, pursuing genealogy is a relatively inexpensive endeavor. There are even lots of ways to enjoy researching your family history at little to no cost. But there ARE costs, and they can add up.

And some expenses can be totally worth paying for. They can help you advance your research, protect your work, meet new relatives, and more. Here are 6 things we think are worth your money in the family history world, and some tips for getting them at the best price so you can keep your benefits high and your costs low.

6 Genealogy Buys That Are Actually Worth It and How to Get the Best Deals

1. Certified copies of vital records

WHY BUY – Fees for certified copies are usually under $20 per copy, and some states offer even cheaper non-certified versions. While this can add up if you need quite a few, a purchase of an original record is often worth it.

These copies are complete images of the original record, not digital transcriptions or abstracts (which often contain errors and don’t include all the details found in the original). Additionally, state agencies will often include, along with your order, copies of corrected certificates or accompanying documentation that may add clarification or solve a longstanding mystery. 

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So if the original, scanned record for your ancestor is not available easily, finding a way to get ahold of it could unlock a whole new world of information.

HOW TO SAVE – Depending on the issuing state, province or country and the date of the record, you might be able to find an image in a digitized collection for free, even if it’s not freely available online.

For example, FamilySearch offers free access to full images of many records from around the world at affiliated libraries or FamilySearch Centers (formally known as Family History Centers) ONLY. You will not find these special collections on FamilySearch.org. You will need to visit one of these centers to access the document in their internal online collections instead.

Since there are so many you will likely discover that one exists near you, and there are often volunteers at these centers to help as well. To find out if a record you need is at a FamilySearch Center, look in their catalog. You can search for collections or locations and filter by online records or FamilySearch Center availability. To find a location of a research center go here. 

If this is not an option, you may have luck finding the record in a buried online collection. Perhaps it’s not on FamilySearch or Ancestry or MyHeritage, but it could be out there on a government website, in an online library or on a volunteer site. Check out this list of free sites that hold collections from around the world and this one for just U.S. states. Even more resources can be found in our online courses. 

The next most economical option, when a record is not online, is to order a copy from the appropriate government agency via snail mail. In this case, always order directly from the repository that holds the record.

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It might take a bit longer to receive, but using a third-party ordering service that promises quicker delivery can add substantial fees. There are many online, so watch out. Instead, find out where the record is actually held (a Google search is often useful for this) and use their service. Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is another great resource for locating and accessing records that aren’t online. 

2. Record subscriptions

WHY BUY – Although we love the hundreds of free genealogy research sites available to the public (especially the massive collection of records hosted by FamilySearch), many of us also want to access the additional holdings of places like Ancestry or MyHeritage. Subscriptions to these sites are not necessary for genealogical research, but they are nice. Especially if you are keeping your tree on one of them. But the costs can be quite high and that can feel frustrating.

HOW TO SAVE – The best way to save money on record subscriptions is to make use of your local library. Many libraries offer free subscriptions to genealogical record collections to card holders. Some of these collections can only be accessed by visiting the library itself, while others can be accessed from home. Read this guide for help.

If purchasing yourself, some of these sites, like Ancestry, offer a yearly fee (rather than paying month-to-month). This often offers a good value compared to the higher monthly rate. Bundling your services (for example, purchasing an Ancestry All-Access subscription gives you access to Ancestry, Newspapers.com, and Fold3) can also help you save a bit of cash.

And, of course, some services are just less expensive than others. MyHeritage and Findmypast both offer subscriptions for less than Ancestry does. 

If you really want to save big money, we suggest keeping an eye on deals. Often, these companies will offer 30-50% off subscriptions around holidays and for other special events.

Family History Daily sends out notifications for many of these deals so, if you are a newsletter subscriber (you can become one by signing up for our free records checklist) you will be notified when they happen. You can also individually subscribe to the mailing lists of these sites and they will usually send out direct notifications when deals are happening.

Finally, most of these services offer a free trial. Take advantage of the two free weeks you can get on MyHeritage or Ancestry for example – but be sure to cancel your subscription before you are charged if you can’t afford the cost.

3. DNA testing kits

WHY BUY – DNA technology is advancing rapidly, and every day scientists and family history researchers are finding new ways to glean more information from one DNA sample. If you’re interested in what your DNA can reveal about you and your ancestors, a DNA testing kit is a worthwhile investment. But, there is simply no free version of this service. You will have to buy a kit and test yourself and/or family members if you want to take advantage of everything genetic genealogy offers. 

HOW TO SAVE – Luckily, competition has brought down pricing on DNA kits and you can often get one these days for $49 or even $39. As with record subscriptions, keep an eye on the sites that offer them (especially around holidays) for steep discounts.

We generally recommended Ancestry’s kits because they have many deals, are easy to use and offer clear results – but MyHeritage and Family Tree DNA are also good choices. See our DNA guide for help making sense of what is available. 

One very important thing to know is that you do not need to order more than one genealogy kit to get results from multiple companies. All of the major testing companies offer you the ability to download your raw DNA file, which you can then upload to other companies.

Ancestry is the only major genealogical testing company that does not allow uploads. If you order a test from them, during a sale, and then download your DNA and upload it to Family Tree DNA, MyHeritage, Living DNA and others you could save a bundle.

Different sites offer different pricing for these uploads and reports, but they are all less than ordering a test directly. Here is an article about which companies you can upload DNA to, the associated costs and how to do it.

4. File storage to back up your tree

WHY BUY – Backing up your online family tree is perhaps the most important precaution you can take to protect and preserve your family history research. We recommend downloading or uploading your tree and its attached records, photos, and links to more than one device or destination as an additional precaution.

You never know when technology will fail you — and it always seems to be at the most inopportune time. So whether you have your tree stored online in only one location, or on your computer, make sure you have another copy stored somewhere else. 

It’s also good to keep in mind that sites like MyHeritage and Ancestry will only give you access to the records you have attached to your tree as long as you maintain your subscription. Downloading them and storing them somewhere else it just a good way of maintaining access.

HOW TO SAVE – Your storage needs will vary based on the size of your downloaded files. GEDCOM files (a download of the names and data in your family tree, not including attachments) are relatively compact, but adding your images and other media can quickly eat up storage space — and more storage will cost you.

Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive are all options where you can get some storage for free and upgrade for a price many can afford.

One of the easiest ways to backup your Ancestry.com tree and all of its attachments quickly is to download it to RootsMagic family tree software, which is available for about $30. To do this with MyHeritage, download their Family Tree Builder software (free) and download your tree and records using it. 

Either of these options will place all of your records on your computer, as well as having them available on Ancestry or MyHeritage. Our online family history courses offer more guidance for how to do this successfully. 

5. Family history travel

WHY BUY – The vast majority of genealogists eventually discover that all of their ancestors didn’t arrive, settle, and foster generations of descendants in the same location. Our ancestors migrated and moved all over, and many of them came to their homes from far-flung locations.

Since only a small portion of genealogy records are available online, traveling to the places where our ancestors lived for research is often necessary. It’s also an indescribable thrill to walk in their footsteps and visit their homeplaces and resting places.

Depending on your destination, though, your trip may require airline tickets, rental cars, hotels, meals, and more — and that can get, well, VERY expensive, very fast.

HOW TO SAVE – The easiest way to save money on travel is, well, not to travel. But that’s no fun! Instead, find ways to save money while still accomplishing your goals.

For example, split your travel costs with another family member or travel buddy, or connect with a relative in the area for free lodging. You can maximize your time by carefully pre-planning your visits to repositories, mapping out timesaving travel routes, and calling repositories to double-check their hours and staff availability so you don’t waste valuable hours.

Use travel comparison sites to catch deals on hotels, and take advantage of package discounts for bundling your airfare, hotel, and rental car. But, be careful, sometimes buying separately is the cheaper way to go though.

You can also save some cash by packing your own genealogy travel kit rather than buying supplies when you arrive, booking hotels for off-season months or weekdays, and scheduling your flights for off-peak days and times. Choose large airports to fly in to and out of as they are often less expensive than smaller cities. 

Sometimes, genealogy travel packages can offer good deals (and companionship with others on the same journey) but they will usually end up being more expensive than simply planning a smart trip yourself. If it all feels overwhelming, travel agents are still a thing! Take advantage of them as they can often help you plan a complex trip and save.

6. Genealogy education

WHY BUY – Wherever you find it, education is almost always worth the investment as you’ll learn important new skills, get introduced to new tools, collections and websites and improve the quality of your research. Whether it’s a book, course or in-person event, education almost always pays for itself in the long term.

HOW TO SAVE – If you’re reading a lot of genealogy books, don’t forget to see if your local library offers them! It is so easy now to get a digital card and download a book on your preferred reading device that you can save a lot of money by making better use of this service.

If your local library doesn’t offer a great selection, get a card from the library system in the nearest large city to you. Often, if you are a state resident with a card from another system, large libraries will allow you to get a card with them as well.

If you are a student or alumni at a college or university, you may also qualify for access to their library system. There are also large libraries all over the country that offer cards to non-residents for a fee. If you want access to the collections of a library, ask if they will allow you to get a card (or check out the information on their website).

There are many other ways to learn as well. Some places (like the Family History Daily Learning Center or American Ancestors) offer online courses and being on the newsletter list for sites that have them means you can grab a deal when one comes up. Courses can be a great way to work through complex topics and learn new skills easily.

And, of course, articles and wikis all over the web are usually a completely free way to learn. Check out the FamilySearch wiki for a ton of free information on nearly every topic, or look for guides from many repositories about how to best use their resources. You’ll never regret spending your time (or money) learning something new!

Happy Researching.

By Patricia Hartley. Patricia has been researching family history for over 30 years and has an M.A. in Public Relations/Mass Communications from Kent State University.