webtrees

webtrees is a web application for building, publishing, and collaboratively maintaining genealogy (family tree) data online. It imports standard GEDCOM files and provides tools to browse, edit, and share research with fine-grained control over what different users can see.

Key Features

• Import and manage one or more family trees from GEDCOM files
• Collaborative editing with multiple user accounts and role-based permissions
• Flexible privacy controls to restrict sensitive individuals, families, and facts
• Media support for photos and document images linked to people and events
• Configurable modules, menus, charts, reports, and themes
• Internationalization with many languages and surname conventions

Use Cases

• Publish a private or public family history site for relatives
• Collaborate with distributed family members on shared genealogical research
• Migrate or consolidate research from desktop genealogy apps using GEDCOM

Limitations and Considerations

• Some collation and name-sorting behavior can vary by database; MySQL is often preferred for best locale-aware sorting
• Importing very large GEDCOM files can be time-consuming and depends on server memory and execution limits

webtrees is a mature option for individuals and groups who want a standards-based genealogy platform with strong collaboration and privacy features. It is well-suited for long-term stewardship of family history data while remaining compatible with common genealogy workflows via GEDCOM.