People, not records
Everyone gets a real place in the tree, their birthday on it, and a written-down answer to 'who is she to us?'
Invite-only, for the living family
Private family tree software your family shares
A private tree where everyone belongs, shared only with the relatives you invite. Each one adds their own side, with photos, stories and birthdays beside each person.
Bring your tree from Ancestry or MyHeritage as a GEDCOM file
- Everyone in the family joins free
- Invite-only
- Nobody's data sold
- Guidedtree setup, step by step
- Invite-onlyshared only with your family
- Freefor everyone in the family
- Web + mobilein a browser on any device
Research sites document the dead. Kunbaa records the living.
Living relatives, visible
Research sites hide living people by design; Kunbaa is built for them. Both sides, kids included in the tree.
Private by definition
Invite-only. No public feed. Your family's data is never sold. Everything is shared only with the family.
Build safely
Start with the relatives you can verify
Begin with close family, add dates, places, nicknames and notes, then invite relatives branch by branch while the people who remember are still easy to reach.
kunbaa.com/dashboard/tree
The tree, and the archive beside it
Structure on one side, memory on the other
The tree sits beside the archive, the wall and events in one private space, so the relationships are recorded along with the names, places and dates in each caption.
Family tree setup guides
Starting a tree, comparing builders, using templates, and launching a free family tree online.
Create a Family Tree Online
Start with the fastest onboarding path for building a private family tree.
Family Tree Builder
Compare the features families usually need in a builder before they commit.
How to Build a Family Tree
Follow a practical step-by-step guide for structuring names, dates, and branches.
Family Tree Template
Use a simple template-first approach, then turn it into a living shared tree.
The private tree, in depth
One page per feature, with what it does today and the honest limits.
Family tree software for the family you actually have
Most family tree software is genealogy research software: records, hints, DNA matches, ancestors from 1850. Kunbaa is a private tree for the living family: everyone’s place and birthday on it, and beside it an archive of the photos, stories and voice notes the family shares, with the names, the place and roughly when in the caption.
The honest Ancestry and MyHeritage answer
For historical records, DNA matching or immigration papers, Ancestry and MyHeritage are the right tools. They have billions of records and Kunbaa has none. Many families use both, Kunbaa as the private companion for the living family.
Research sites are built around a fact that surprises people: living relatives are hidden by design. On Ancestry, anyone marked as living is invisible to other members regardless of privacy settings; children can't hold accounts of their own, and there is no family calendar, no photo feed, no voice or video. See Kunbaa vs Ancestry, Kunbaa vs MyHeritage and Kunbaa vs FamilySearch, or the best family tree apps in 2026 side by side.
Cost is part of the difference too. As of mid-2026, Ancestry’s US Discovery plan is $229/yr for one seat and All Access is $479/yr with four seats, and MyHeritage Complete renews at about $299/yr per researcher. On Kunbaa, everyone in the family joins free, and the tree is free for the whole family (no limit on people). See what a paid plan adds.
How families use it
- Map both sides of the family (your branch, your partner’s branch, the cousins abroad) in one private tree.
- Share photos, scanned letters, recipes, voice notes and stories into the archive.
- Invite relatives to claim their own spot and fill in the names, dates and spellings only they remember.
- Keep notes on step-families, adoption context and name variations inside the family, never on a public profile.
Start with confidence, then expand
Begin with close relatives, add approximate dates where records are unknown, and invite family branch by branch. Already have a research tree? Export it as a GEDCOM file and import it on kunbaa.com: Kunbaa matches it against the people you already have and shows what it will write before writing anything (GEDCOM export is not switched on yet). Starting fresh, the step-by-step guide walks you through it, and the family tree feature page shows what the tree can hold.
Frequently asked questions
More questions? Read the full FAQ or the help centre.
Is Kunbaa an alternative to Ancestry or MyHeritage?
For living families, yes. As a private companion, not a replacement. Ancestry and MyHeritage are research tools for records, DNA and historical trees; Kunbaa is a private tree of the family you actually have, with birthdays on it and an archive that keeps the photos and stories with the names and dates. Many families use both.
Why not just use Ancestry for the living family too?
Because research sites hide living people by design. On Ancestry, anyone marked as living is invisible to other members regardless of privacy settings. Children can't hold their own accounts, and there is no family calendar, photo feed or calling.
Can I import an existing GEDCOM tree?
Yes, on the web. Export a .ged file from MyHeritage, Ancestry, Family Tree Maker or Gramps and upload it on kunbaa.com under Tools → Import a GEDCOM; Kunbaa matches it against the people already in your tree, asks about anyone it is unsure of, and writes nothing until you confirm. Details already on a card are kept; GEDCOM export is not switched on in this release.
Is my family tree private?
Yes. Your tree is invite-only: your family's data never sold, shared only with the family, and never published to a public directory.
What does family tree software cost with Kunbaa?
The tree is free for the whole family (no limit on people), and everyone joins free, no card, ever. Kunbaa Plus keeps longer videos in the family archive, room for the whole archive, and the photos and videos from the family chat. The pricing page shows what each plan adds.
You found where everyone belongs. Now the family can see it.
Everyone in the family joins free. Build the tree, then bring them in.