GeneWeb is a free, open-source OCaml genealogy engine with a web interface. Explore its features, licensing, technical architecture, and alternatives.
Category
Productivity
Pricing
Free / Open Source, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
1998
Free PlanWindowsWeb AppOpen SourceSelf-HostedMac
Overview
GeneWeb is a free, open-source genealogy software engine written in OCaml, created in 1998 by Inria researcher Daniel de Rauglaudre. It operates as a lightweight web server capable of hosting any number of genealogical databases and dynamically generating browsable HTML pages.
Released under the GPL-2.0 license and maintained on GitHub, GeneWeb has powered some of the largest public genealogical databases in the world, most notably Roglo, which contains more than 8.5 million individuals.
Key Features
GeneWeb includes an efficient relationship and consanguinity rate calculator, automatic statistics such as oldest-living-person lists and age pyramids, and wikitext-formatted notes with internal cross-references and embedded media.
It supports both a native GW database format and the industry-standard GEDCOM format for import/export, and includes a browser-based admin utility (gwsetup) for configuring and maintaining installations without command-line expertise.
Pricing
GeneWeb is entirely free and open source under the GPL-2.0 license, with no paid tiers, subscriptions, or licensing fees.
Users self-host the software on their own hardware or server, so the only ongoing cost is whatever infrastructure the operator chooses to run it on.
Key Features
Web-server-based architecture — Runs as a lightweight embedded web server that hosts and dynamically serves any number of genealogical databases via a standard browser.
Relationship and consanguinity calculator — Efficiently computes how closely related two individuals are and calculates inbreeding coefficients within a database.
Automatic statistics generation — Produces lists of oldest living individuals, recent weddings or deaths, and age pyramids for a given year.
GEDCOM and native GW format support — Imports and exports data in both the industry-standard GEDCOM format and GeneWeb's own native GW format.
Wikitext notes with cross-references — Attach richly formatted notes to individuals and families, including internal links and embedded media.
gwsetup administration tool — A browser-based configuration and maintenance interface that removes the need for command-line administration.
Multi-language interface — Localized into at least nine languages, including French, English, German, Dutch, and Spanish.
Cross-platform support — Runs on Unix, Linux, Microsoft Windows, and macOS.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Completely free and open source under GPL-2.0
Proven at massive scale, powering databases like Roglo with millions of individuals
Advanced relationship/consanguinity calculation not commonly found in consumer genealogy tools
Long track record of continuous development since 1998
Flexible deployment as a private offline tool or a public-facing web genealogy database
Cons
Requires self-hosting and some technical setup, unlike consumer SaaS genealogy platforms
Web interface design is dated compared to modern commercial genealogy services
No official customer support; relies on community and documentation
No built-in historical record archive or DNA matching like Ancestry or MyHeritage
OCaml-based codebase can be less approachable for contributors unfamiliar with the language
Pricing
Free / Open Source Free N/A
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GeneWeb free?
Yes, GeneWeb is free and open source under the GNU General Public License version 2.
Who created GeneWeb?
GeneWeb was created in 1998 by Daniel de Rauglaudre, a researcher at Inria, and written in OCaml.
What is Roglo?
Roglo is a large public genealogy database, containing more than 8.5 million individuals, built on the GeneWeb engine.
Does GeneWeb support GEDCOM?
Yes, GeneWeb can import and export genealogical data in both the GEDCOM standard and its own native GW format.
What platforms does GeneWeb run on?
GeneWeb runs on Unix, Linux, Microsoft Windows, and macOS.
Do I need to self-host GeneWeb?
Yes, GeneWeb is self-hosted software; users run it locally for private research or deploy it to a server to make a database accessible online.