Ancestry v Find my Past

[zilkens]

I think I've done a silly thing. I cancelled my membership with Ancestry last night and signed up for 12 months with FmP, which is much cheaper.
Ancestry have chopped me off so quickly I can hardly believe it and I now find that in comparison FmP is very slow and nowhere near as good. I am struggling to find any results from the 1901 census for my lot at Dent and I am pulling my hair out.
Now of course my Family Tree Maker doesn't work either. Obviously you get what you pay for.
Do I swallow my pride and creep back to Ancestry ?

[Darksecretz]

I know we all moan about ancestry.. BUT I find that FMP is difficult to navigate, and tbh I'd rather be able to do my lookups inthe one stop shop, I know that FMP has some stuff and find the 1911 wonderful (but I think i'd rather PPV for that and still have all the comforts of Ancestry)

so long and short of it, yes, I'd go back

[Trina]

FMP is great as a back up and will probably be very useful at times, but I think you still have to take out a seperate sub for the 1911.
Wouldn't be without Ancestry though!

[LyndainSpain]

Very interesting as I was thinking of changing over. FMP have sent me a couple of discounted offers so I thought I would maybe go with them when the time came. On reading this think I shall probably stick with Ancestry . Do you think they will ever include 1911 census on FMP subscritpion, or does anyone know if and when Ancestry will have it.

[Caroline]

http://www.familytreeforum.com/resea...scription.html

You may want to read this thread. It had slipped down the page so you may not have seen it

[LyndainSpain]

Thanks very much for the info, just what I was looking for very interesting
Lynda

[Olde Crone Holden]

Also thanks from me for this thread - I woke up musing about whether to let my Ancestry go, it runs out in a few days, and go over to FMP.

I've decided to stick with Ancestry after reading this thread. I've done my direct line on the 1911 and I can wait patiently for the less important ones...probably till 2012 unless I can be bothered to go to a "free" venue.

OC

[Vicky the Viking]

the last newsletter I had from LostCousins recommended that people should go over to FMP instead of using Ancestry!

Cant comment on the speed of seearching as I don't use it much, but I think the Ancestry search options are more flexible. yes I know we moan about it, and some of their mistranscriptions are just ridiculous, but I prefer to stick with what I've learned rather than start again elsewhere. And if you watch out for their special offers, Ancestry isn't that expensive.

In the meantime, save up your queries & then sign up for a 2 week freebie.

[Janet]

I do think that it all depends on what you want from FMP and Ancestry.

At present I do have subs for both, and each one is offering something different. I am enjoying the London Records through Ancestry, courtesy of LMA, although I live near enough to LMA to be able to go and do the work on a personal level, but doubt I would have found the marriages through LMA that I have now found on Ancestry. At present it is a bit hit and miss as there is no proper index, which I understand will be available later in the year so I am finding most by chance. Ancestry is also good for soldiers First W War records. They also have all the Census except 1911, which you have to pay for seperately. If you have no London records or First W War soldiers then unless you have worldwide as I have at present there is not a lot else of use to you. The Irish records they have are already online for free and of little use to anyone. Their parish records are equally of little use.

FMP now have all the census available except 1851, which will be complete soon and the 1911 Census will be available on the Explorer Subscription Package at an increased rate from late October 09. I use FMP more for the census as I find FMP easier and more accurate than Ancestry. FMP also has many parish records and wills, though this will depend which parishes you are into. I just happen to be heavily into Northants and as FMP have many Northants Records, it suits me. I also use the Overseas Index quite a lot so that is another plus for FMP. FMP also has the Emmigration lists though Ancestry has the Immigration lists which are not much use to me as my folk are from the UK travelling elsewhere but if your folk are elsewhere travelling to the UK then ancestry will be better for you.

So all in all each person will have to decide what they want from each subscription package. I might keep both going for a while as I have soldiers' records but may eventually just have FMP.

As this question crops up time and time again, maybe its time somebody wrote an impartial feature on the pros and cons of FMP and Ancestry for the Wikki, which could be updated as new features are put on. This way people can then look at the pros and cons and make their own minds up. It is not a straight yes for Ancestry, no for FMP or vice versa. Some of the genealogy magazines rate FMP above Ancestry though the genealogist is rated as the best for all the census as being the most accurate.
Janet

[borobabs]

Your FTM should still work it just wont do the web search or might but wont let you view the page online ;;;