Free vs Paid Genealogical Records. Which To Use and Why.

When you begin your genealogical research you may be doing this for one or many reasons.

• It’s a hobby that intrigues and excites you.
• You want to write and publish a book about your family and make some money.
• Perhaps you want to travel to the countries of your heritage for self fulfillment.
• Or maybe you want to record and pass down your family history just for the sake of doing it.

No matter the reason for doing genealogical research there is always one thing in common with the “why”… it’s the genealogical records that allow you to move forward and provide the “proof” of your ancestry.

So what really is the difference between using free vs. paid services to obtain those records?  Well, really there isn’t any difference in the records themselves for the most part but there are differences as to what you get and what is available.

I always recommend that you find as many free records as you possibly can online, at local libraries, from family members or other researchers who may have crossed your family line. It just makes good sense, but keep in mind a few things.

Free doesn’t mean “correct”.  Many records are transcribed by volunteers that, while they have a passion for genealogy, are human and can err in their transcription.  While this does not negate the value of them you will want to take them “with a grain of salt”.  Often you will not have access to the actual documents but only the transcriptions.

Also, it can be difficult and time consuming to search these records because they may be online in a way that may not be easily searchable.  If you have the time and the patience as well as understanding how to use the search tools your computer or that the website provides this may not be an issue for you at all.

Free genealogical records are a fantastic way to get started, like putting the border on a very large puzzle to get a big picture and create a focus for your genealogical research.

So then why pay?  It really depends on how important viewing and saving the actual records are for you personally. Genealogy is a huge industry and because of the demand for information and moving into the internet age many people have been hired to use the latest technology to provide for the demand that is out there created by hobbyists’ as well as professional genealogists.  If you don’t have the time or technology yourself, paid services provide one solution.

Using services such as Ancestry.com, World Vital Records.com, or your State Archives to get either a copy of an actual record or the record itself will provide the proof of your ancestry.  It also allows you to put the “leaves” on your family tree by providing details that you just can’t find in a transcribed record.

When deciding whether to pay for your research take the time to consider the following:

1. Do you have the time to search the free records online manually?
2. Have you exhausted all the ways to obtain the records through libraries, Stake Centers, family and other relatives?
3. Will having the “actual” record benefit your research and the end goal of what you want to do with it? 
4. Do you want the “proof” the actual record provides?
5. Is it less expensive to get a records online or do you have the ability to travel and collect them as part of your research?

After you consider what costs in terms of money and time there are, you may find that paying for a record online is a good solution for you, but I want to encourage you to be frugal and methodical.  Focus on one area at a time.  Maybe you want to only focus on immigration records.  Only pay for that part of any service and “use it up”.  Don’t buy an annual subscription to ALL the services provided at once.

It just too much information and you may not get your money’s worth because your focus could be lost in all the records provided. Most services allow you to only subscribe to certain records for less and this allows you to maintain that focus in your genealogical research.

Take advantage of any and all free trial offers, but only do them one at a time so you don’t forget and are unpleasantly surprised by a recurring charge on your credit card. Put a note on your calendar to cancel if after the evaluation period you’re “not impressed” with the service or records provided.   Take this time to find out what records would be most valuable to you and then go back and subscribe to only those.

So, whether you pay for records online or you find them for free always keep in mind to thank those people who volunteer by either donating to them with kind words or a dollar or two for their time if you can, and always take full advantage of the services you pay for fully so you wont be disappointed when your time runs out on your subscription.

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