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Census Lookups General Lookups => Census and Resource Discussion => Topic started by: Snurple on Wednesday 05 May 10 11:28 BST (UK)
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Hi everybody
I'm just about to invest in a 12 month subscription to either Ancestry or Find my Past but I can't quite decide which one would be best.
I'm an ex-Ancestry subscriber and was always really happy with the amount of relevant to my tree info on there. Find my Past is new to me and not sure how the two compare. For the record, the biggest majority of my family tree is here in Yorkshire, in the UK.
What are your experiences? Any tips on which one would be the best?
Thanks in advance
Jo
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There are other threads on this topic, and I think the consensus is, they both have different things to offer. I subscribe to both as quite a few people do. ;D
Lizzie
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Thanks for your reply, Lizzie. Much appreciated.
I did try searching for previous threads but couldn't really find much; and unfortunately, a subscription to both would be way out my price range.
Jo :)
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My suggestion would be to subsribe to Ancestry, but try to find the extra money for a 6 month sub to Findmypast.
Ask for this as a birthday/early christmas pressie from family. This would be better than bubble bath etc. :D
I like many of us on here have access to both (costly but worthwhile)
I consider that Ancestry has more records. Findmypast comes up with better search results & I prefer the printout of census pages. On Ancestry the original images are often clearer. Also if I cannot find someone on one site they are usually on the other.
On Ancestry you can add "comments" but no amendments will be made
On Findmypast if you can show via the original that a transcription error has occured then that entry will be amended to correct entry. This is usually odd spellings of fairly ordinary surnames ie I have just come across Harrison as Hairson!
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Remember on FindMyPast you can see the C1911 with a subscription, cheaper than seperate visits to the C1911 site.
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Just to add that FindMyPast have been advertising 20% off subs in the Times - may just be annual subs, I haven't read the details. They are offering a 14 day free trial at the moment, so you could use that to see how you find the site.
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When Find My Past offered discounted subs for the 1911 earlier this year, together with access to all their other info, I decided to take up their offer. I already had a sub to Ancestry (which runs out in a couple of months time) and had decided not to renew that when renewal came around as my local library has the Library version of Ancestry.com. Library members are allowed half an hour free computer use per day, so I will just go there for things that are not available on FindMyPast, eg the London Metropolitan Archives data, which I have used a lot lately. Perhaps a library near you would offer the same, though if it's not very handy/close by, that's no good!
There is an earlier thread about comparisons, started on 8th March - Census & Resource Discussion:- "Objective advice on search sites please" which might help.
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I have both at the moment but may give up FindMyPast as I've mainly been using that for the NBI. It seems sensible for me to buy the new updated NBI on CD and just use that. Ancestry is useful for the London Parish records for me but really does all depend on your area of research.
Carole
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Thank you for all your input.
I've been in contact with FindMyPast this afternoon as it appears that they do not have anything at all for Leeds in their parish register records and can give no estimate of when they expect to upload anything related to that area. As this is my main area of research, and after carefully considering what everybody has to say, I think it's Ancestry for me. For the next 12 months anyway and then perhaps the situation may well be different. I can purchase some PAYG credits for the 1911 and this still works within my budget. Moreso because Ancestry are offering monthly payment terms rather than one annual lump sum.
Thanks again everybody.
Best wishes
Jo
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I've got a subscription to ancestry and a sub. to FindMyPast for the 1911 census. I got a 20% discount earlier in the year. It was the best (I think it was about £60) I've spent. I've managed to clear up so many loose ends by being able to look at the 1911 census.
I started by buying credits for FindMyPast but (someone might say I was doing something wrong) I found that when I was searching for BMDs it seemed to bring up a page with a load of indexes on which I had to search through - whereas ancestry takes you straight to the record. I hope that makes sense.
I've got a few odd credits on FindMyPast and occasionally I find a census entry on there that I just cannot find on ancestry.
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Been with both for a while, use pay per go on 1911 cheap enough for census rtns. 30 credits soon gone though.
BUT today I updated to top ancestry sub / due to needing to research more overseas...
This meant a great saving and they accepted debit card.
So what I used to pay p.m. for not full access... totals the same amount I paid in one lump for full access... and then the money wont be taken off my card each month, so again saving on the interest that would incur...
Immediately the service for full subs ... is so much more detailed...
I am sure when I looked at the 1871 census before, they only gave me the choice of the one without scribbles and alterations on ... today I managed to pick up the corrected tidy one and the scribbled on version, and that cleared up an error in my tree... the servant isnt a servant but a grandaughter. Uhm.
I did get angry though, cos previously I had typed in a name and it let me see that they had info on it if I upgraded... so when I upgrade... ..... :-X the info is not at all what i was searching.. the name was split onto three different lines... so showed 3 different people... ah well - still happy with it.
Xin
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I subscribe to Ancestry, FindMyPast, and The Genealogist. If I could only afford one, I would choose Ancestry.
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I can only afford one and subscribe to Ancestry.
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I may not search properly, but sometimes on Ancestry I get angry when it gives me 20,000 names and fred is above alan and dates are not in order
I am a little slow nowadays... ::)
but if I put in Marie ann Fogley 1820 Yorkshire.. why do I get Mary ann Fogley 1845 cornwall ...
I can search for ages.. the only time i get numerical order is if I just enter the name and area......
xin
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I am subscribed to Ancestry and FindMyPast but I would much prefer Ancestry if I could only have one subscription.
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Hi,
Jo,
you can test the waters with findmypast before deciding.
Findmypast has currently got a 14 day free trial. I signed up for the trial 3 days ago. You need to give them your credit card details for the trial, at the end of the trial they will automatically bill you for a subscription - so you need to cancel the free trial just before the 14 days are up if you don't want to subscribe to them .
I'm glad I took out the free trial with them as I had been thinking of taking out a sub with them - I'll be cancelling my trial as I personally found that they do not have anything on their site that I need or haven't already got or found over the years
I've been a subscriber of ancestry for years .I much prefer ancestry to findmypast.
Kind regards
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I may not search properly, but sometimes on Ancestry I get angry when it gives me 20,000 names and fred is above alan and dates are not in order
I am a little slow nowadays... ::)
but if I put in Marie ann Fogley 1820 Yorkshire.. why do I get Mary ann Fogley 1845 cornwall ...
I can search for ages.. the only time i get numerical order is if I just enter the name and area......
xin
Try ticking the exact box - without exact you get records that their program thinks make sense
Also it maybe New Search tick Old Search - top right under banner
They also have new options announced on their blog to allow in new Search picking variations of first names etc etc - hopefully this would pick Wm and Will and William and Willie and so on
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Hello
I have had an annual sub with Ancestry for 3 years, and last month I took out a 6 month sub with FindMyPast mainly for the 1911 census.
I would recommend Ancestry, there images are better, what's with the blue at FindMyPast.
Searching at FindMyPast is frustrating as you have to enter a surname, even when I tick variant.
At least with Ancestry you don't need to include a surname especially when the spelling of a surname is way out.
Lastly pricing, even when you take out the 1911 census Ancestry has more than FindMyPast and is much cheaper, that's why I only took out a 6 month sub.
thankyou
julie
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There are some Yorkshire PR's on FindMyPast but nonetheless I prefer Ancestry
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thanks Ron, will try that..
xin
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Hi Julie
You can search on first names only on FindMyPast - just leave the surname field blank. I would suggest you limit area or age otherwise unless it is a most unusual name you end with a rather large number of pages.
regards sarenid