Client-side encryption
Every record, note, and media file is encrypted on your device with a key only you hold.
Private beta in progress
Your family history. Encrypted. Yours alone.
FamilyTreeRecord is a private, security-first place to preserve your family story. Records are encrypted on your device before they leave it — no public search, no data matching, no peeking by us.
Why FamilyTreeRecord
Designed for families who care about privacy.
A small set of guarantees, not a feature firehose. The rest is staying out of your way.
No public matching
No public search, no DNA matching, no cross-user analytics. Your tree stays private by default.
GEDCOM import & export
Bring data from existing genealogy tools. Export your tree back to GEDCOM whenever you want.
Portable encrypted file
Your whole tree fits in one encrypted file. Back it up, archive it, take it with you.
How it works
Three steps. No data leaves your control.
From first record to encrypted backup, here’s what using FamilyTreeRecord looks like.
Create your encrypted tree
Choose a strong passphrase. We derive your encryption key locally — it never leaves your device.
Add people, events, media
Build out your family with names, dates, places, notes, and photos. Import from GEDCOM if you have it.
Save or sync, encrypted
Save your tree as a single encrypted file, or opt in to encrypted sync across devices. Servers only ever see ciphertext.
Security model
Encryption you can audit, not just trust.
A short, plain-English summary of what we do. A full security whitepaper will be published before sync launches.
Encrypted before upload
Trees are encrypted on-device with AES-256-GCM using a per-tree data key.
Passphrase-derived keys
Your passphrase derives a key via PBKDF2 (Argon2 on the roadmap). We never see it.
Ciphertext-only servers
Servers store encrypted blobs and minimal metadata. No parsing, no indexing, no peeking.
Pricing
Popular
Free to start. Pay only if you want encrypted sync.
Final prices land at launch. Early families get a founding-member discount.
Free
$0/forever
Local-only encrypted file. Everything you need to start.
- Local encrypted file
- Basic GEDCOM import
- Export anytime
Personal Sync
$5–8/mo
Encrypted cloud sync so your tree follows you across devices.
- Encrypted sync, 2 devices
- 1 tree, 5–20 GB
- Email support
Family Sync
$12–18/mo
Bring up to 10 family members in, with audit logs and history.
- Up to 5–10 collaborators
- 50–200 GB storage
- Change history & audit log
Legacy
$25–40/mo
A long-term family portal with custom domain and premium exports.
- Custom domain & portal
- Priority support
- PDF family book export
Annual plans 15–20% off. Founding-member lifetime discount for early waitlist signups.
FAQ
Questions, answered plainly.
What does “zero-knowledge” actually mean here?
Your tree is encrypted on your device before anything is uploaded. Our servers only ever store ciphertext — we cannot read your records, your media, or your family data, even if we wanted to.
What happens if I forget my passphrase?
Because the encryption key is derived from your passphrase, we cannot recover your data without it. We provide strong setup guidance, recovery reminders, and tools to safely back up your passphrase before you commit data.
Do you support GEDCOM import and export?
Yes. GEDCOM import runs entirely in your browser at MVP, with a mapping UI for unusual files. GEDCOM export is on the roadmap so your data is never trapped.
Will my data ever be sold, scanned, or matched against other users?
No. There is no public search, no DNA matching, and no cross-user analytics. Your tree stays private by default and there is no path to make it otherwise.
When does FamilyTreeRecord launch?
We are in private beta now. Join the waitlist to be invited as part of the first cohort of families and to lock in the founding-member discount.
Join the waitlist
Be one of the first private-beta families.
Early access, founding-member pricing, and a real voice in what we build next.
Join the waitlist