Webtrees - Web based family history software

[bartmathijssen]

Webtrees is the web's leading on-line open-source collaborative genealogy application.

There are a few packaged versions on Docker Hub already

[necrevistonnezr]

This should run in the LAMP app: https://webtrees.net/install/requirements/

[LoudLemur]

Webtrees was a great suggestion for genealogy way back then and today it stands as the most active and fully featured project amongst its contenders. Here is a quick ai summary:

Strongest Fully Featured Alternative with Most Active Development

Based on the latest metrics as of December 7, 2025, Webtrees stands out as the strongest fully featured open-source genealogy program among the alternatives (Ancestris, Webtrees, GeneWeb, and Genea.app), particularly when prioritizing both comprehensive features and the highest level of ongoing development effort. Here's a quick rationale, followed by a comparison update incorporating fresh data.

Why Webtrees?

• Fully Featured: It rivals Gramps in depth, supporting full GEDCOM import/export for seamless data migration, advanced editing (individuals, families, sources, media like photos/documents), privacy controls, interactive charts/maps, and real-time collaboration—making it ideal for both solo researchers and shared family projects. Unlike lighter tools, it handles large trees with database-backed storage and media merging during updates.
• Most Work Happening: It shows the highest momentum with 676 stars, 332 forks, and over 20,777 total commits on GitHub. The last commit was just yesterday (December 6, 2025), with frequent updates in late 2025 (e.g., PHP 8.5 compatibility fixes and translation enhancements in November/December). This indicates a vibrant, multi-contributor ecosystem (historically 100+), far outpacing the others in visible activity and community engagement.
• Edge Over Others: While Ancestris is a close second for desktop users (recent v13 release on Nov 30, 2025, with 1,200+ commits in 18 months), its SVN-based development lacks the transparent, high-velocity GitHub metrics of Webtrees. GeneWeb is steady but dated in interface and metrics (363 stars, no recent commit details). Genea.app lags with minimal activity (245 stars, sparse updates).

If you prefer a pure desktop experience like Gramps, Ancestris is nearly as robust and actively maintained—but for overall strength and dev hustle, Webtrees wins.

Updated Comparison Table (Dev Effort Focus)

Alternative	Fully Featured Highlights	Dev Metrics (Dec 2025)	Activity Level
Webtrees	GEDCOM/media/editing/privacy/collaboration/charts	676 stars, 332 forks, 20,777 commits; last commit Dec 6, 2025; daily updates	Highest: Frequent commits, broad contributor base
Ancestris	30+ tools (editors/trees/maps/analysis); modular/GEDCOM	v13 release Nov 30, 2025; 1,200+ commits (18 mo.); daily v14 builds via SVN	High: Steady releases, community forums
GeneWeb	Database mgmt/conversion/plugins; web/offline	363 stars, 111 forks, 9,894 commits; active mailing list	Moderate: Consistent but slower pace
Genea.app	Visual GEDCOM editing/Git sync; serverless	245 stars, 56 forks; limited recent commits	Low: Small team, infrequent updates

For setup, Webtrees is self-hosted (easy with Docker) and free forever. Dive in via GitHub or site. If this doesn't fit, clarify your priorities (e.g., desktop vs. web)!