Written by Generation Archives. We make the product described here, so read this as the maker's account, not an independent review. Family Echo details are from familyecho.com as of September 2026 and may change.
A Family Echo alternative that brings your tree over, photos included
Family Echo has been a free, dependable family tree maker for a long time, and plenty of people should keep using it. It costs nothing, it is stable, and it copes with enormous trees that would make other tools give up. If it does everything you need, there is no reason to move.
Generation Archives is for a slightly different need. Maybe your tree has grown to the point where the automatic layout is hard to read. Maybe you want the photos and stories to sit right next to the people they belong to. Or maybe you would just like a fresh look. If any of that sounds familiar, you can bring your Family Echo tree across, photos included, and keep going from where you left off.
You can try the demo, open the sample tree, or create a free account when you are ready to import.
What people love about Family Echo
It is worth being clear about why Family Echo is so popular, because those are the things you should expect from any replacement:
- It is free. No paywall appears halfway through building your tree.
- It is stable. People have kept trees there for years.
- It handles huge trees. Family historians, Sims legacy players, and fantasy writers keep trees with thousands of people in them.
- It copes with complicated families. Remarriages, half-siblings, and extra sets of parents are all possible.
Generation Archives is also free, runs in any browser (including your phone's), and needs nothing installed. The family tree, stories, and inviting relatives cost nothing.
Where Generation Archives is different
You decide where people go
The most common thing Family Echo users say about big trees is that they become hard to read. Automatic layouts do their best, but once you have several generations of remarriages and cousins, the lines start to cross.
In Generation Archives you can drag any person anywhere on the canvas. Put the main line down the middle, move a branch off to the side, or group a remarried couple's children by parent. If you want a tidy starting point, use auto arrange first and adjust from there.
Several layouts of the same tree
A tree can have multiple named layouts. The people and relationships stay the same; only the arrangement changes. A few ways people use this:
- A "Direct line" layout with just the ancestors you are researching.
- An "Everyone" layout for the full picture.
- A layout per branch of the family, so each side is easy to read on its own.
Switching between them does not change your data, so you can experiment freely.
Photos that belong to people
Family Echo lets you add a photo to a person. Generation Archives builds more around photos:
- Tag people in a photo by drawing a box around each face. A wedding photo can link to everyone in it.
- Add photo notes so the date, the place, or the story behind the picture stays with it.
- Write biographies and stories on each person, so memories are kept next to the right relative.
Photos can be free, too. You can link photos you already store somewhere else instead of uploading them.
The whole tree on one page
Open Import / export on the tree toolbar and export your entire tree as one large PDF page, photos included, in the layout you arranged. PNG and JPEG are there too if you would rather have an image file. That is handy for a family reunion print, a poster, or a reference image for a story.
Private by default, shareable when you want
Trees start private. You can invite relatives to view or edit, or make the tree public and share a single link. That is useful if you post your tree alongside a Sims legacy update, a fan fiction chapter, or a roleplay character sheet.
Bringing your tree over, with photos
Here is the part most people ask about first. Family Echo offers several download formats. Its GEDCOM, CSV, and FamilyScript exports are useful, but they do not include your photos.
Generation Archives can import Family Echo's "Read-only HTML" export instead (in Family Echo, click Download below the tree and choose Read-only HTML). That file contains the pictures saved in your tree, so when you import it:
- Photos land on the right people.
- Relationships carry over.
- Birth years carry over.
In short, you download one file from Family Echo, upload it to a free Generation Archives account, and your tree appears with its pictures attached.
Family Echo compresses photos quite heavily, so the imported pictures will be small. If you still have the original, higher-quality versions, you can add or link them afterwards.
For the full walk-through, see how to import a Family Echo tree.
A quick side-by-side
| Family Echo | Generation Archives | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Runs in the browser | Yes | Yes, including phone browsers |
| Arranging the tree | Automatic layout with view options | Drag anyone anywhere, plus auto arrange |
| Saved layouts per tree | Automatic, with view options | Multiple named layouts |
| Extra parents | Additional sets of parents, with a parent type | Any number of parents; the type is not labeled |
| Photos | Person photos and files | Photo tagging, photo notes, biographies, stories |
| GEDCOM | Import and export | Import and export |
| Whole tree as one page | PDF printing across one or more pages | One large PDF, PNG, or JPEG with photos |
| Sharing | Share link or invite | Private with invites, or public with a share link |
Who should stay with Family Echo
We would rather you pick the right tool than switch for no reason. Family Echo is probably the better fit if:
- You want adoptive or foster parents labeled on the link itself. Family Echo does that. In Generation Archives you add an adoptive or step-parent as another parent of the person; parent types are not labeled yet, so you note the relationship in the biography.
- You like automatic layout and do not want to arrange anything by hand.
- You rely on Family Echo's contact details, birthdays, or calendar features.
Who Generation Archives is for
- Your tree has become hard to read and you want to place people yourself.
- You want a "main line" view and an "everyone" view of the same tree.
- You have group photos and want everyone in them tagged.
- You write stories, biographies, or lore that belong to specific people.
- You want to share a tree publicly with one link, or keep it private for family.
Frequently asked questions
Is Generation Archives free?
Yes. The tree, stories, and inviting relatives are free. Hosting photos with us is optional, and linking photos you already store elsewhere costs nothing.
Will my Family Echo photos come across?
Yes, if you use Family Echo's "Read-only HTML" export. Photos land on the right people. Family Echo's GEDCOM, CSV, and FamilyScript exports do not include photos.
Do I need an account to import?
Yes. Importing a Family Echo tree requires a free account with a verified email. You can explore the demo first without signing up.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. Generation Archives runs in your phone's browser, with nothing to install. There is no separate app.
Can I go back to Family Echo later?
You can export your tree from Generation Archives as GEDCOM, which Family Echo and most genealogy programs can import. See what GEDCOM is.
Try it with your own tree
The fastest way to decide is to see it. Open the demo and drag a few people around; no signup needed. When you are ready, create a free account, download your "Read-only HTML" file from Family Echo, and bring your tree over with its photos.
Try the demo Sample tree Create a free account