Family tree shareware is genealogy software that you can try out before you buy. The foundation of the entire idea is a straightforward premise: every maker of genealogy software aspires to produce the best product possible in order to dominate their market. They want to be competitive, and one way to do that is to gain your trust as a potential customer who is interested in checking out their software with the intention of buying it from them in the future.
They want you to use their product for a set amount of time before deciding whether or not it is satisfactory. What they’re trying to say is that they’re so confident in the quality of their product that they’re willing to give it to you free of charge so you can try it out and, if you like it, make a purchase after the trial period, which is what they want you to do.
Offering shareware is a great promise from a software developer to you as a customer because they are taking a chance by letting you use their product for free because they are so confident in its quality. It enables you to get a head start on building your own family tree by letting you test out as many genealogy programs as you can before you have to choose which one is right for you. By trying out as many as you can, you’ll find the product that’s the best on the market and best suits your needs.
Consider family tree shareware in the same way that you would if you were going to buy it.
Here is a checklist that will allow you to choose the best shareware:
- Can you upload and download data from online genealogical databases using this connection?
- Do you have access to all the features you need to create the family tree you want? How many different categories of templates, for example, does it offer? Can you add pictures and notes? Can you allow other family members to access it so they can look for and add data to help you?
- Does it include product support? Not just family tree shareware, but all programs should have this feature checked. Purchasing software with no one to turn to for assistance in case of questions or issues can be incredibly frustrating.
- Are software updates available? The web is constantly evolving, and software must follow suit. Software that is not updated will soon become unusable or have limited usability.
- Do the updates have a cost? Updates are the primary source of revenue for some software companies. They will charge you a lot for updates after sending you their software for free initially. Determine whether you can accept this; if not, search for one that offers updates at no cost or at a very low cost.
- What is the price of the software’s actual purchase version? Though the family tree shareware is free, what if you decide you want to buy it in the future? How much will it cost?
If you take into account these factors when selecting the shareware to get you started with your project, you should be able to compare only the best genealogy software available. You will then be in the best position to make an informed decision.
Joining forums where people discuss family tree creation and the various genealogy software options is another smart move when deciding which family tree shareware is best for you. Ask other customers for their opinions; they are frequently very open in their discussions of the various products they have used.