Family tree: free offline Gramps install

People searching for a free family tree usually want a local install they control, not another advertising page that reshuffles pedigrees behind a login wall. Keep this family tree install on GitHub Releases for gramps-project/gramps, prove one desktop Family Tree, then import GEDCOM only after that path works.

A family tree here means software that stores people, events, and relationships in a local database, draws charts, and can import or export GEDCOM. Gramps is the GPL-2.0 product this guide maps. Source and downloads live on gramps-project/gramps. The release door is GitHub Releases. Safe download path: download-safe path. Repo layout: GitHub overview. Which file: releases.

What a family tree job needs

A family tree job on a personal or research PC needs software that can hold person records, link parents and children, attach sources and media, and print charts without requiring a monthly genealogy seat. You choose a local tool, keep the database on disk, and avoid surprise paywalls mid-research. A desktop pedigree for that work reduces browser logins and clipped ads.

Gramps keeps that work on your machine. You install once, create a Family Tree, add people, import GEDCOM when needed, and open Charts or Reports when the tree has enough structure. The everyday win is fewer half-finished cloud tabs than chasing a new web pedigree for every cousin.

• Prefer GitHub Releases over adware “family tree download” portals.
• Match GrampsAIO-*-win64.exe on Windows PCs (note the double-dash in the real filename).
• A wrapper that ranks for family tree is still the wrong binary.

Why this desktop path

Four facts decide this family tree desktop job, each with a source you can open.

First, the license is GPL-2.0 on the public repository, so the Windows AIO on Releases and the brew, snap, or apt packages are free to run for local work. Second, the release assets name AIO, Arm, Intel, and snap in the filename, which makes the genuine family tree installer easier to spot than a renamed setup from a review site. Third, the product keeps a local database and GEDCOM import so you are not stuck in a single online form on day one. Fourth, Windows ships as AIO exe with no winget id verified for this guide, which keeps the install story honest.

Honesty matters too. Gramps is not a hosted research marketplace, and it does not ship paid record hints inside the installer. If your society already standardized on a commercial suite with legal review, stay on that stack until purchasing says otherwise. If you only need one disposable pedigree sketch, a browser form may be enough. Choose the local app when you want people on disk, offline charts after install, and a desktop window you can keep beside source notes.

Install by operating system

On the PC that needs a local pedigree database, open gramps-project/gramps releases, take the current GrampsAIO-*-win64.exe for Windows, or use brew, dmgs, snap, or apt on other systems, and confirm the asset or package name before you execute. Longer Windows page: install on Windows. Machine chooser: for this computer.

This guide maps the Windows AIO path first because the job lock prefers that asset for the head term. No winget id was verified for this guide, so Windows stays on GitHub Releases. macOS prefers Homebrew cask with Arm/Intel dmgs as alternates. Linux prefers snap with apt as an alternate. Prefer stable tags over beta tags.

Eight steps to first local Family Tree

Machine path: for this computer. After the download lands: first hour after install. A successful Family Tree with one Home Person is a better test than stacking three different downloads from three mirrors.

1. Open GitHub Releases for gramps-project/gramps Open the official Releases page and confirm you are on the current stable tag for Gramps, not a beta or a renamed mirror installer.
2. Download the Windows AIO exe first Prefer GrampsAIO-*-win64.exe for Windows (filename uses a double-dash before the build number). On macOS take the Arm or Intel dmg on the same tag. On Linux use the Install panel package path on this page.
3. Run the installer or package once On Windows run the AIO exe. On macOS open the matching dmg (or use the Install panel for Homebrew). On Linux follow the Install panel snap or apt path.
4. Confirm Gramps opens Launch Gramps from the Start menu, Applications, or snap desktop entry so the Family Trees manager appears before you import data.
5. Create one local Family Tree Create a new Family Tree on disk you control, add a Home Person, then add parents, children, or spouses as Person records.
6. Import GEDCOM only after a backup plan If you are migrating, export GEDCOM from the old tool, then use Family Trees → Import in Gramps. Keep a copy of the export until the import looks right.
7. Keep one update door Return to the same GitHub Releases page for the next Windows AIO or macOS dmg, or refresh through the same Install panel path you used first. Skip Softonic-style wrappers.
8. Optional charts and reports After a few people exist, open Charts or Reports. Install Graphviz on the OS when graph reports need it, then leave online research for separate sessions.

First hour after install

Start the install with one empty Family Tree you create yourself. Confirm Gramps opens, add a Home Person, attach one source note, and only then import a large GEDCOM if you need it.

If the app fails to start, re-check that SmartScreen allowed the file from GitHub Releases, or that brew/snap finished cleanly. Do not download a second copy from a random mirror to fix a blocked first run. First run: first run. Safety: safe download.

Charts, Graphviz, and media folders can wait until the simple Person path works. Switch habits: switch from online genealogy. Head-to-head notes: vs online family tree sites.

How to choose a family tree tool

A careful buyer checks five things before they trust a pedigree tool with real relatives. First, whether installs stay on your disks or require constant uploads. Second, whether the update door is the vendor release page or a sketchy mirror. Third, license and price over a year. Fourth, whether GEDCOM import and charts are first-class or a fragile click path. Fifth, whether the tool works offline after the database is local.

Gramps scores well when you want a free GPL family tree with a Windows AIO on GitHub Releases and brew or snap on other systems. Online genealogy sites win when you need hosted research hints and cannot install software. Built-in photo albums win for tiny convenience scrapbooks. Pick the smallest tool that keeps pedigree data local without adware wrappers.

Compared with other family tree options

Longer comparison: vs online family tree sites. Browser SaaS wins when you cannot install software. Gramps wins on offline PCs and when you want a family tree under GPL with GEDCOM on disk. Commercial suites win when purchasing already locked vendor research.

Free desktop vs paid research seats

The Gramps program is free under GPL-2.0. You can install, create Family Trees, import GEDCOM, and work offline after the database is local. Paid online research seats add record hints, DNA tools, and sometimes DRM you cannot change. Buy those when your research already requires them, not because a search ad said “pro family tree.”

For a hobbyist, society volunteer, or small archive team, the free local install path is enough: one Windows AIO, one brew or snap install, one honest test Family Tree. For a corporate image with mandatory tooling, evaluate the incumbent against migration cost before you switch tools for branding reasons alone. Third-party record licences stay separate from the Gramps program licence.

Mistakes that undo a family tree install

Five concrete mistakes show up again and again. First, downloading a renamed setup from a review portal instead of GitHub Releases. Fix: match the asset name GrampsAIO-*-win64.exe on gramps-project releases (double-dash before the build). Second, inventing a winget id when none was verified. Fix: stay on the AIO, brew cask, snap, or apt. Third, installing three copies from three mirrors. Fix: one update door forever. Fourth, importing a huge GEDCOM before you know the UI. Fix: create one Home Person first. Fifth, skipping backups before merge. Fix: export GEDCOM or Gramps XML before large imports.

A sixth habit helps: keep Windows AIO and experimental beta builds from colliding on the same machine. Prefer stable tags such as the current release and document which door you used.

Guides index

Longer family tree how-tos live under guides: Windows, macOS, and Linux install, safety, first run, Windows AIO notes, switch from online genealogy, online comparison, troubleshooting, and update/uninstall. Cluster pages cover releases, GitHub, download safe, and for this computer.

Repeatable family tree habits

A repeatable family tree habit looks like this: one installer from GitHub Releases, one Family Tree after install, one Home Person proof, and one update door forever. That rhythm keeps Gramps useful on a shared PC without drifting into adware mirrors.

Teams that edit pedigrees weekly should treat Gramps like any other signed tool. Document whether the PC used AIO exe, brew cask, dmg, or snap. Document who owns the next Releases check. Those notes prevent “which binary is this” arguments after a reimage.

When a society asks for an offline pedigree, the local app keeps living-person data off unknown browsers. When a class project needs offline work, disk-backed trees beat expired cloud credits. When a launch needs clean sourcing, a known desktop path matters more than themes. Keep the job name clear so searchers land on local install first.

Everyday limits

A desktop pedigree cannot invent ancestors that were never in the sources you added. Soft or missing evidence still needs honest review. Dense trees need disk space for media, not wishful filters. Shared PCs should store Family Trees in a known folder. Prefer one update door for installs: GitHub Releases for Windows AIO and macOS dmgs, or brew/snap when that is how you installed.

Borrowed or locked-down lab PCs may block unknown setups. Stop rather than force a wrapper installer from a search ad. Use a machine you control when you need a clean install path. A second proof after every reimage keeps the install honest.

Settings that matter early

The app is only useful when the Family Tree path and backups match what you meant. Gramps lets you manage multiple trees so you are not surprised mid-import. Start with a short single-person add, then import GEDCOM if your workflow needs it. Keep exports beside a backup so you can restore after a reimage.

Charts, Graphviz, and geography views help once the offline path works, but they are power moves, not first-hour tasks. Prove one plain Person before you chase map plugins. Media folder notes appear in Preferences on builds that support them.

After the first local Family Tree

After you trust the desktop window, more people and optional GEDCOM imports help you grow a pedigree without scattering cloud bookmarks. Use them to verify names match what you typed. Keep originals until you accept the chart rendering.

Switching from a browser-only habit is a power tool, not a speech. Prove one local Family Tree, then move a real GEDCOM, then compare cost and privacy. Guides: first run, troubleshooting.

How do I install a family tree on Windows?

Download the current GrampsAIO-*-win64.exe from GitHub Releases for gramps-project/gramps and run it. Prefer that Windows AIO installer for this family tree path. Guide: install on Windows. No winget package was verified for this guide, so stay on the official release assets. The real filename uses a double-dash before the build number on stable tags such as the current release.

Where should I download a family tree app?

Prefer GitHub Releases for gramps-project/gramps when you need the Windows AIO or macOS dmgs, or use Homebrew cask and Snap Store packages after you trust those channels. Skip Softonic-style wrappers that rename the setup. Details: download safe. Keep downloads on the project release list.

Is this family tree software free?

Gramps is free under GPL-2.0. GitHub Releases assets named above have no paywall for local family tree work. Commercial research subscriptions and optional paid record sites are separate costs you choose later, and their licences stay separate from the program.

Can I switch into this family tree from online tools?

Yes. Install Gramps, create one Family Tree as proof, export GEDCOM from the online tool if it offers that, and import after you keep a backup copy. Guide: switch from online genealogy. Comparison context: vs online family tree sites.

Does the desktop family tree work offline?

Yes for local Family Trees after the database is on disk. You still need network for the first download of the installer, brew, or snap packages and for any online research you do later in a browser. Offline habits: first run and first hour.