Should I use Geneanet or Vestigee for French genealogy?

Both, in sequence. Geneanet's volunteer indexes and community are the fastest route into an indexed French parish; Vestigee takes over when you reach registers nobody has indexed, transcribing the page, translating Latin entries and attaching names and dates to your tree with the source kept.

What is Geneanet best at?

Indexes and transcriptions built by volunteers over decades, shared French trees that often reach deep into rural lines, and access to researchers with genuine local knowledge of a commune's registers.

What happens when the community index stops?

That is the normal wall in French research, usually before the mid-eighteenth century. From there you read the register images that departmental archives have published without indexing — which is exactly what AI transcription is for.

Can I move my Geneanet tree?

Yes, by GEDCOM export and import. Keep the notes recording which facts came from community relevés: a fact whose provenance you lose is a fact you will have to prove again.

Does AI transcription work on Latin parish registers?

Yes, and Latin is comparatively easy because the entries are formulaic. Verify the names, dates and place names against the image, since those are the fields that enter your tree and the ones a transcription is most likely to get wrong.

It has free access and paid options, and the balance changes over time, so check its current terms. Free access to community indexes is a genuine part of its appeal.

Which is better for photographs and family books?

Vestigee includes restoration, upscaling, colorization, animated portraits, AI biographies and a printable family book in the subscription. That is presentation rather than research, and it is usually what turns a private project into something relatives engage with.

Do I lose access to community indexes if I switch?

You would lose whatever access your Geneanet plan gives you, which is why many French researchers keep both while actively working an indexed parish and rely on transcription for everything beyond it.

Vestigee vs Geneanet: An Honest Comparison | Blog

Geneanet's collaborative French indexes and community versus AI transcription of parish and civil registers, sourced suggestions and photo restoration.