Filae and Geneanet respond to opposing design logics. Filae indexes digitized archival collections and provides access through a name-based search engine. Geneanet aggregates family trees published by its members and associative records. Comparing the two is akin to contrasting a centralized documentary database with a decentralized collaborative network.
Indexing of archives and documentary coverage on Filae and Geneanet
Filae relies on the digitization and name-based indexing of civil status records, parish registers, and French censuses. Searches are conducted by last name, first name, location, and time period. The results link directly to the image of the original document.
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Geneanet operates differently. The platform hosts millions of online trees contributed by its users, supplemented by transcriptions carried out by volunteer associations. Access to data depends on what each contributor has chosen to publish.
The technical distinction lies in the nature of the primary source. Filae offers direct access to digitized archival documents, ensuring the traceability of information. Geneanet provides transcriptions and trees whose reliability varies depending on the contributor. We recommend systematically cross-referencing Geneanet data with the original documents available on departmental archive sites.
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For those working exclusively on French genealogy, a detailed comparative analysis of Filae and Geneanet allows for precise measurement of the coverage gap between the two platforms by department and time period.
Geneanet’s freemium model versus Filae’s paid access: impact on research
Geneanet remains largely usable without a subscription. Accessing public trees, collaborative participation, and accessing numerous volunteer records do not require a premium subscription. The subscription unlocks advanced search functions and removes ads, without locking down the core database.
Filae has tightened its access policy in recent years. The majority of name-based search results now lead to a paywall. Without a subscription, the platform only confirms the existence of a record without showing its content. Filae operates as a very closed indexed database for free users.
This divergence in business models has direct practical consequences on the genealogist’s workflow:
- On Geneanet, a non-subscribed user can identify leads, contact other members, and access complete associative records before deciding whether to invest in a subscription.
- On Filae, subscribing becomes almost mandatory as soon as the research goes beyond the exploratory stage, as the results remain hidden.
- The opportunity cost is higher on Filae: an annual subscription commits to a specialized documentary database for France, while Geneanet also covers European and international collections.
Acquisition of Filae by MyHeritage: what changes for the user
Since the acquisition finalized in 2021, Filae’s French collections are gradually being integrated into the MyHeritage ecosystem. MyHeritage’s record matches and smart matches now retrieve records from Filae’s collections without dedicated manual searches. A MyHeritage subscriber can automatically find French records in their tree.
This technical integration, with partial synchronization of indexes, repositions Filae as a subset of MyHeritage for French genealogy. We observe that this evolution makes a standalone Filae subscription less relevant for genealogists who already have a premium MyHeritage account.
Geneanet maintains its independence and community model. No automatic synchronization exists between Geneanet and MyHeritage, preserving the autonomy of the database but requiring manual GEDCOM exports to transfer a tree from one platform to another.
GEDCOM export and interoperability between genealogy platforms
The GEDCOM format remains the standard for exchange between genealogy software and platforms. Both Geneanet and Filae support GEDCOM import and export, but with nuances.
Geneanet handles large GEDCOM files well and retains most custom fields during import. Filae accepts GEDCOM import to create a tree, but matching with its archival indexes occurs later, through automatic reconciliation.
Experienced genealogists recommend not exclusively choosing one platform or the other. The most effective strategy is to maintain a main tree on local software (Heredis, Gramps, or others), then regularly export in GEDCOM to Geneanet for the collaborative dimension and to Filae or MyHeritage to query indexed collections.
- Export to Geneanet to benefit from community matches and cousin alerts.
- Export to Filae or MyHeritage to automatically cross-reference the tree with indexed civil status records.
- Keep the master file locally to maintain control over data quality and avoid duplicates between platforms.
Data reliability: collaborative trees versus indexed archives
Geneanet trees contain transcription errors, unsourced lineages, and confusions of namesakes. The platform does not verify the data entered by its members. A very complete tree may rely on assumptions never validated by an original document.
Filae limits this risk by linking to the digitized document. The user views the image of the record and makes their own interpretation. The documentary traceability of Filae reduces transmission errors compared to an unsourced collaborative tree.
The choice between the two platforms depends on the stage of research. To identify leads and potential cousins, Geneanet offers a dense and responsive network. To validate a lineage or find a specific record, Filae provides a more reliable documentary response, provided one has an active subscription. Combining both, with local genealogy software as a pivot, remains the most robust method for rigorous genealogical research on French ancestors.