Family Tree App vs. Spreadsheet vs. Paper: Which Is Right for You?
When you decide to build a family tree, you have several options: draw it on paper, use a spreadsheet, or download a family tree app. Each approach has its own advantages and limitations. The right choice depends on your family's size, the complexity of your relationships, and whether you need to collaborate with other family members.
This article compares these three approaches to help you make the best choice.
Paper Charts
Pros
- No devices or internet connection required
- Familiar and accessible for older relatives
- Allows handwritten annotations and pasted photos
- Works well for small families (within three generations)
Cons
- Space runs out quickly as the family grows
- Difficult to revise; corrections often become messy
- No backup — lost or damaged means gone
- Cannot be shared with distant family members easily
- No search capability; finding a specific person requires scanning the whole chart
Best for: Small households, three generations or fewer, one-time documentation without planned updates.
Spreadsheets (Excel / Google Sheets)
Pros
- Most people already know how to use spreadsheets
- Flexible — you can add any custom fields you want
- Formulas can calculate ages, sort dates, and organize data
- Easy to export and copy
Cons
- No visual tree structure; hard to see family relationships at a glance
- Relationships between members are difficult to represent clearly in rows and columns
- Multi-person collaboration often leads to version conflicts
- No built-in support for the lunar calendar, birth hours, or other culturally specific fields
- Becomes unwieldy as the number of members grows
Best for: Data-focused organization, looking up specific member information, no need for a visual tree.
Family Tree Apps
Pros
- Visual family tree that's immediately clear at a glance
- Scales to multiple generations without running out of space
- Supports photos, lunar birthdays, notes, and custom fields
- Multi-member collaboration with real-time sync
- Shareable read-only links for distant relatives
- Automatic calculation of ages, zodiac signs, etc.
- Cloud backup so data is never lost
Cons
- Requires learning the app's interface
- Some advanced features may require a subscription
- Depends on the app's continued availability and internet access
Best for: Families with three or more generations, those who need collaboration, and anyone who wants to maintain and share their family tree over the long term.
Feature Comparison at a Glance
| Feature | Paper | Spreadsheet | Family Tree App | |---|---|---|---| | Visual tree structure | ✓ (hand-drawn) | ✗ | ✓ | | Multi-person collaboration | ✗ | Limited | ✓ | | Lunar calendar support | Manual | Manual | Built-in | | Search members | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | | Photo records | Paste prints | File links | Built-in | | Automatic backup | ✗ | Manual | Automatic | | Share with family | Photocopy | Send file | Link sharing |
When Should You Use a Family Tree App?
Consider using a family tree app if your situation includes any of the following:
- More than three generations of family members
- Need to record lunar birthdays or traditional birth hours
- Complex relationships such as multiple spouses or adoptions
- Family members spread across different cities or countries
- Want to preserve family photos and stories alongside the tree
Rootrees is a family tree app built for Chinese-speaking families. It has native support for the lunar calendar (including leap months), traditional Chinese birth hours (時辰), multiple spouses with cultural ordering, and non-biological relationships. If you're looking for a genealogy tool that fits Chinese family culture, Rootrees is worth trying.
Summary
Each tool has its place: paper for small families, spreadsheets for data management, and family tree apps for long-term maintenance and collaboration. If your goal is to build a family tree that can be passed down through generations, a family tree app is generally the most practical choice.