Top pick · highest health
Gramps Web
Web app for collaborative genealogy, based on and interoperable with Gramps, the open source genealogy desktop application.
Docker
Genealogy
Open source alternatives to Ancestry
We track 5 open-source Ancestry alternatives, of which 4 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 1 ship a Docker image. Gramps Web leads on health at 89/100 with 175 commits in the last 90 days; across all 5 projects you are choosing between AGPL-3.0, GPL-2.0, GPL-3.0 and 1 other licences.
updated Oct 2026 5 alternatives best health 89 ★ 2.1k combined 739 commits / 90d 1 with Docker
Top picks to replace Ancestry
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Healthiest
Health 89/100: 175 commits in 90 days, latest release v3.25.0, Docker image available.
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Most starred
835 stars, the biggest community among Ancestry alternatives.
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Most active
433 commits in the last 90 days, more than any other option here.
Showing 5 of 5 tools
All 5 Ancestry alternatives, ranked by health
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webtrees
Webtrees is the web's leading online collaborative genealogy application.
PHP -
GeneWeb
Genealogy software that can be used offline or as a Web service.
OCaml -
Genealogy
Record family members and their relationships and build a family tree.
PHP -
Genea.app
Genealogy tool designed with privacy in mind that anyone can use to author or edit their family tree. Data is stored in the GEDCOM format and all processing is done in the browser.
Javascript
Ancestry alternatives compared
Gramps Web edges webtrees 89 to 81, and most of the difference is Docker support: a Docker image against no Docker image. webtrees has the largest following at 835 stars, yet ranks #2 of 5, held back mostly by Docker support (no Docker image).
The most recent release is Gramps Web v3.25.0, published yesterday. Genea.app publishes no tagged releases, which costs up to 25 of the 100 points. Genea.app scores under 40, so check recent activity before adopting it. By stack, PHP (2), Javascript (1) and OCaml (1) are the most common. Genealogy and Genea.app are permissively licensed; Gramps Web, webtrees and GeneWeb are copyleft.
| Tool | Health | Stars | Licence | Last commit | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gramps Web Steady at 89 since 11 Sep | 89 | 229 | AGPL-3.0 | yesterday | Yes |
| webtrees Down 1 point since 11 Sep, no release for 6 months | 81 | 835 | GPL-3.0 | yesterday | No |
| GeneWeb Down 3 points since 11 Sep, no release for 10 months | 74 | 407 | GPL-2.0 | yesterday | No |
| Genealogy Steady at 70 since 11 Sep | 70 | 367 | MIT | 20 days ago | No |
| Genea.app Steady at 20 since 11 Sep, no tagged release | 20 | 284 | MIT | 11 months ago | No |
Ancestry alternatives: common questions
What is the most maintained open source alternative to Ancestry?
Gramps Web scores highest at 89/100, with 175 commits in the last 90 days, 229 stars on GitHub and its latest release (v3.25.0) published yesterday. GeneWeb has the most raw commit activity at 433 commits in 90 days.
Which Ancestry alternatives use a permissive licence?
2 of 5 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): Genealogy (MIT), Genea.app (MIT). 3 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
Which Ancestry alternatives run in Docker?
1 of 5 publish a Docker image or Compose file: Gramps Web. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.
Is Gramps Web or webtrees the better Ancestry alternative?
On measured health Gramps Web leads, 89 to 81. Gramps Web has 175 commits in 90 days, 229 stars and v3.25.0 from yesterday; webtrees has 110 commits in 90 days, 835 stars and 2.2.6 from 6 months ago. webtrees is ahead on stars, so it is the stronger pick if that is what you weigh most.
Are the Ancestry alternatives still maintained?
4 of the 5 measured options score 70 or above. Genea.app had no commits in the last 90 days. Genea.app scores under 40.
What languages are the Ancestry alternatives written in?
PHP: webtrees and Genealogy. Javascript: Genea.app. OCaml: GeneWeb. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.
