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When building a family tree it's important to chose software that isn't restricting. I've used several family tree programs but most of them always had something missing. Some looked great, but were not user friendly. Others were user friendly, but didn't give the reports I wanted. Others still had the tag of a family tree maker but left me feeling incredibly stupid as the program was so difficult to navigate and use.

Eventually, I discovered Legacy Family Tree, go to <https://legacyfamilytree.com/>, and I honestly haven't looked at any other genealogy software since. It's easy to install and use. It allows me to print all different types of reports. I can perform a multitude of searches. There's a bookmark facility and also a note taking function that I find helpful. I can add photos of all types to individuals and family groups. There are functions that will search from the program directly on a number of websites and display the results (I've found new ancestors through this function alone). This software will even generate a complete, functional website for me (if that's something I was interested in, which I'm not).

There is also a tag system which is ideal for noting which family members had certain health issues, or had no children, or married a cousin, or for any other reason you can think of basically.

I like the option to mark the direct line of ancestors too. This makes it easy to see where you are and if you've wandered down a branch and away from the main stem.

And finally, despite the many other functions that I haven't mentioned here, the function to link with ~FamilySearch is great. I use it all the time. But remember, all new leads must be checked before adding them to your tree.

Edited on 2 February 2023: Legacy merged with MyHeritage in 2017. The software has been enhanced to link with MyHeritage, if desired, but there is no pressure to do so and the function can be turned off at any time. Apart from that, Legacy Family Tree still remains my favourite genealogy software.