Pricing & Storage

The family tree is free. People, relationships, dates, notes, memories, invitations, and GEDCOM import or export do not require a payment. You only pay if you want Generation Archives to host photo and file bytes. There is no subscription and nothing renews on a schedule.

Option 1Store with us

Upload photos and files to Generation Archives for $1 per GB per year. Fund prepaid credit—no subscriptions—and only pay for what you keep online.

No monthly plans. Buy credit when you want; it lasts until your storage use consumes it. Store less, and the same purchase lasts longer.
Minimum purchase: 5 GB-years ($5). Choose how much to add before checkout, in 1 GB-year steps.
New accounts get 100 MB-years of starter credit (starts on first upload, not at signup).
Example: $5 with ~1 GB stored ≈ 5 years.
When credit runs out, hosted media becomes inaccessible. After 6 months without credit, that hosted media is permanently deleted. Tree text, relationships, and linked external media are not deleted because credit expired. We email you when remaining credit drops below about one year at your current usage.

Fund your account

Pick an amount, then continue to checkout. Not signed in? Log in first.

Option 2Use external links

Leave files where they already are and add the public URL. Free for you: no Generation Archives storage is used, and you never have to buy credit. You can still tag people in that media. If the other host removes the file, or the link only works when you are signed in there, the tree cannot show it.

A longer explanation of prepaid credit versus a monthly plan is on family tree software with no subscription. Privacy defaults are covered in private family trees.

Plan comparison

Generation Archives does not sell monthly tiers for the tree itself. The useful comparison is what you pay for, and what stays free either way.

What you need	Free tree + linked media	Free tree + hosted media
People, relationships, notes, memories	Included	Included
Invite relatives to view or edit	Included	Included
GEDCOM import and export	Included	Included
Tag people in photos	Included (linked URLs)	Included (uploads)
Where photo files live	Your existing host	Generation Archives storage
Ongoing cost	$0	$1 per GB per year, prepaid
Subscription / auto-renew	None	None
Starter credit	Not needed	100 MB-years on first upload
If you stop paying	Tree stays; links depend on the other host	Tree text stays; hosted files become inaccessible, then deleted after 6 months without credit

Choose linked media when files already live somewhere reliable and public enough for the tree to fetch them. Choose hosted media when you want the bytes kept with the tree and you are willing to buy prepaid credit. Many families mix both: link older scans, upload newer phone photos.

Pricing FAQ

Is the tree really free?

Yes. Building and sharing the tree does not require storage credit. Paying is optional and only for hosted file bytes.

Do you charge a subscription?

No. Credit is prepaid. There is no auto-renewal. See the FAQ for collaboration and import answers.

What if I only link photos I already host?

Then you can use Generation Archives without buying storage. The tree, tags, and stories still work.

Is media hosting required?

No. Many families keep scans on a drive or another host and only store people and stories here. Hosting is for when you want the file kept with the tree under Generation Archives' storage credit.

How is this different from a research subscription?

Research sites usually charge for record collections, DNA tools, or larger trees. Generation Archives charges only for optional hosted file bytes. People and relationships stay free. Read family tree software with no subscription for a longer comparison.

Can one account hold several trees?

Yes. Storage credit is on the account, not priced per tree. A private family tree and a fictional project can share the same login.

Where can I read more?

Short answers are in the FAQ. Longer product context is on About and in the guides hub.