WikiTree vs WeRelate

Profile manager: Andrew Turvey [send private message]

This page is an attempt at an objective summary of the main similarities, differences, strengths and weaknesses of WikiTree and WeRelate, two free-access freely-licensed genealogical websites. Please feel free to add your contributions if you are familiar with both websites.

One family tree

Both sites are based on the concept of the "pando", or single family tree. Each individual should have a single page and users should collaborate to write profiles.

The implementation differs slightly. WikiTree is much bigger (23m people versus 2.9m on WeRelate) which means the chance of a user finding someone else with common relatives is much higher. In addition, WikiTree promotes the concept more with the "Connection" tool that shows how any two people are shown to be related - including through multiple marriages.

WeRelate allows people who create a profile to delete them too, if they are the only "watcher", which isn't allowed in WikiTree. On the other hand, WikiTree makes the creator the "profile manager", which gives them certain rights. In particular, they can set the Privacy level for anyone born less than 200 years ago, and limit who can edit or see information about this person.

WeRelate bans the input of any information on living people, with a very limited exception of notable individuals - typically royalty - who have a Wikipedia page. WikiTree deals with the problem by making living people private except for the person who created the profile and anyone they add to their "trusted list". This means that user pages are integrated with person pages, removing the need to break the connection of families where there are living parents.

Editing software

Both websites are based on the "wiki" software, most widely known as the editing software for Wikipedia. The basic elements are the same: one URL per person, some structured fields (e.g. Surname, Date of Birth), plus a box for some narrative text.

There are some key technical differences:

• WeRelate requires a "Family" to represent the two parents of a person and attaches the marriage details to that object. WikiTree allows you to add the parents individually and replicates the marriage details across both parties
• WeRelate allow you to add sources to the structured fields, whilst WikiTree accepts sources only in the narrative text.
• WeRelate allows for many more structured fields, covering occupation, census records, christening, and burials. WikiTree is more limited.
• WeRelate maintains multiple "namespaces" for Places, Sources, and Surnames, as well as lesser-used ones such as Transcript, Repository, and Portal. These push consistency in usage, which WikiTree does not attempt to do.
• WeRelate name people in the format Person:{Forename} {Surname} ({nn}), whilst WikiTree uses the less descriptive {Surname}-{nn}.
• WikiTree allows addition of DNA testing results and automatically links it to anyone who shares the same DNA. For example, Y-DNA results are shown on the profile page of all male-line relatives. WeRelate has not developed this functionality although information can be added to individual pages.

Family tree upload

Both websites allow users to upload "GEDCOM" family trees. Once uploaded, WeRelate allows users to access their trees individually and add more people to them. At a later time the information can later be downloaded. WikiTree does not keep track of trees once the individuals have been uploaded.

WikiTree also allows users to upload GEDCOMs but is more restrictive about the content. The matching software seems less sophisticated for WikiTree, with more false positive matches.

Ancient genealogy

Both websites discourage and restrict users from adding individuals too far in the past. WikiTree does not allow GEDCOM imports of any people born before 1700 and doesn't allow users individually to create such profiles until they have self-certified their competency. Users cannot create profiles of people born before 1500 until they have been granted permission based on their editing history.

WeRelate also prevents the GEDCOM import of early ancestors, setting the limit to 1750. Official policy is that the site "declines to host genealogy before 700 AD", but allows "well substantiated early individuals (pre AD 700) as unadorned extracts of information from Wikipedia". These are stated to act as sentinels, preventing users from inadvertently adding such individuals. However, there are no processes to prevent the creation of such profiles or to identify them when they have been created, and there are many such persons on the site in practice.

Business model

WeRelate is operated by the Foundation for On-Line Genealogy, a not-for-profit Utah corporation maintained part-time by Dallan Quass. It is mostly funded through adverts.

WikiTree is operated by a New York registered commercial company, Interesting.Com Inc, owned and founded by Chris Witten. The website has paid staff of a few people.