How much does Family Tree Maker cost in 2026?
Family Tree Maker is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. You buy it once and it keeps working. The confusion comes from two optional extras that are subscriptions: TreeVault cloud services, and the Ancestry membership needed for syncing. Here is what each one is for, and which of them you can skip.
- Current release
- FTM 2024
- Licence
- One-time
- Checked
- September 2026
We don't quote figures here, on purpose. Prices change, regional stores differ, and a number copied from somewhere months ago misleads more than it helps. This page explains what you pay for and what you can skip. For what it costs today, check the official store. We're an independent service and don't sell the software.
Family Tree Maker 2024 price at a glance
| What | Typical cost | Type | Do you need it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTM 2024 licence | One payment, three delivery options | One-time | Yes. This is the software |
| Coming from an earlier version | Same as a new licence | One-time | Yes, if you want 2024 |
| Family Pack licence | A modest amount more | One-time | Only for multiple household members |
| TreeVault cloud services | Subscription, several tiers | Recurring | Optional |
| Ancestry membership | Subscription | Recurring | Only if you want to sync |
The licence is sold as a download, on DVD, or on USB. The software is identical in all three; only the delivery differs. The download costs least and the physical options add shipping, so buy the disc or the drive only if you actually want a physical copy on the shelf.
We deliberately don't quote figures on this page. Prices change, regional stores differ, and a number copied from a support site months ago is worse than no number at all. Check the publisher's own store for what it costs today.
Is it a one-time purchase or a subscription?
One-time. You buy a version, currently FTM 2024, and it keeps working for as long as your computer will run it. There is no annual fee to keep using software you have already bought, which genuinely sets it apart from most of the genealogy market.
The catch is that "owning it forever" and "it keeps working forever" are different things. As the macOS Tahoe situation shows, an operating system upgrade can strand an older version permanently. Budget for a paid upgrade every few years even though nothing is forcing you to.
What TreeVault costs on top — and whether you need it
TreeVault is the publisher's cloud service. It keeps a continuously updated copy of your tree so that a hard drive failure doesn't end your research. It is a separate recurring subscription.
Do you need it? Only if you have no other backup habit. It is genuinely useful insurance, but it is not the only way to be safe. A disciplined routine of local backups with media included, kept on a separate drive, costs nothing and protects you just as well. TreeVault's advantage is that it is automatic, and automatic beats disciplined for most people.
Do you need an Ancestry subscription as well?
No — not to use the software. Family Tree Maker is a fully standalone program. You can build, edit, chart and print an entire tree without ever signing in to anything.
An Ancestry membership is a separate recurring cost, and it is only needed for two things:
- Syncing your desktop tree with an online Ancestry tree.
- Searching Ancestry records and hints from inside the program.
This is the single most common misunderstanding we hear. People assume the licence includes records access; it does not. The two are separate companies selling separate products, and buying one gives you nothing from the other. If your goal is searching records, the membership is the purchase that matters. If your goal is owning and controlling your tree offline, the software is.
Worth knowing before you subscribe: many public libraries offer a free in-library edition of Ancestry. Researchers who mainly want record access, rather than hints appearing inside their own tree, often use that instead.
Coming from FTM 2019 or 2017
There is no standing upgrade discount for FTM 2024. A reduced upgrade price existed during the long stretch between the version being announced and it actually shipping. That window closed on release. Owning 2019 or 2017 today means buying a full licence like anyone else, so budget for the whole thing rather than a discount.
Existing owners do sometimes still find promotional routes, and researchers pass them around: an offer link in an old email from the publisher, or buying the licence as a gift. Neither is guaranteed to be running when you look. Treat them as a bonus rather than the plan.
What you get for the money is the same either way. Your existing trees open in 2024 and convert themselves as they load, so check the official store with your existing licence to hand.
Worth knowing before you decide: FTM 2024 opens 2019 and 2017 files directly, so upgrading is normally a straightforward install rather than a migration. Back up first regardless.
Where to buy safely — and what "free download" sites really are
There is no free version of Family Tree Maker. No free edition, no free trial. Every site offering "Family Tree Maker free download for PC" is distributing an unlicensed copy. Those builds commonly carry malware, cannot be registered, cannot receive updates, and cannot be supported by anyone, including us.
Licensed copies come from exactly two places:
- The publisher directly, at their US store
- Their two approved international resellers, listed on the publisher's own purchasing page
Anywhere else, including marketplace listings, discount key sites and download portals, sells licences that frequently fail to register.
Is it worth the money?
Honestly, it depends on one thing: whether you want your tree to live on your own computer. If you do, FTM is one of very few serious desktop options and the one-time price compares well against paying monthly forever. If your tree lives online only, an Ancestry subscription alone serves you better and the software becomes unnecessary.
There are also capable free desktop programs. We would rather you knew that than bought something you didn't need — see the guides for honest comparisons.
Frequently asked questions
Is Family Tree Maker a one-time purchase or a subscription?
One-time. You buy a version and own it. The only recurring costs are optional: TreeVault cloud backup, and an Ancestry membership if you want to sync.
Do I need an Ancestry subscription to use it?
No. The program works entirely offline. Ancestry is only needed for syncing and for searching records from inside the software.
Is there a free version or free trial?
Neither. Sites offering a free download are distributing unlicensed copies. Those are usually bundled with malware, and impossible to register, update or support.
How much is the upgrade from FTM 2019 or 2017?
There isn't one any more. Reduced upgrade pricing ran only between the announcement of FTM 2024 and its release, and that window has closed. Owning 2019 or 2017 now means buying a full licence. Promotional offers turn up from time to time, through an old email link or by buying the licence as a gift, but none is guaranteed to be running when you look.
Can I install it on more than one computer?
A standard licence covers your own use. For several people in one household there's a Family Pack, which costs a modest amount more than the standard licence.
Where can I buy it safely?
The publisher directly, or one of their two approved international resellers. Nowhere else is guaranteed to give you a licence that registers.
Bought it and it won't install?
Licence and billing go to the publisher. If the software will not run, that is us. No fix, no fee.