GEDCOM Viewer Online: Open and Explore Any .ged File in Your Browser
If someone has handed you a .ged file and you don't have genealogy software installed - or you just want a quick look without committing to a desktop program - you need a GEDCOM viewer that runs in the browser. Most online viewers either upload your private family data to their servers, lock the useful features behind a paywall, or render a barely-usable list with no maps, no statistics, and no sense of the shape of the tree.
GEDminer is a free online GEDCOM viewer that opens any .ged or .gedcom file directly in your browser. Drag the file onto the page and within seconds you'll have a searchable list of every individual, an interactive map of every place name, surname and occupation breakdowns, kinship calculations, migration flows between countries, a timeline of family events, and a data quality score for the tree as a whole.
For browser-only use, nothing is uploaded. The file is parsed by a Web Worker on your own device, so your original GEDCOM remains local. Optional account features can save parsed tree data if you choose to use them. Below is exactly what the viewer shows, how to open a file, and answers to the questions people ask before trusting an online tool with their family history.
How GEDminer solves it
You need to open a .ged file but don't have genealogy software.
Drag and drop into the browser - the viewer loads any standard GEDCOM file in seconds.
Browser-based GEDCOM viewerYou want to search the tree by name.
Token-based name search with debounced live results across every individual.
People DirectoryYou want to see where the family lived on a map.
Every place is geocoded and shown on an interactive map, with frequency analysis.
Locations ExplorerYou want to know how two people are related.
Kinship Explorer calculates exact relationships up to 8th cousins with shared-cM estimates.
Kinship ExplorerYou want a sense of the tree's scale and quality.
The Overview dashboard shows generation depth, birth-year distribution, lifespan trends and a data quality score.
Overview DashboardYou want to see how the family migrated over time.
Animated migration flow map shows movement between countries decade by decade.
Migration AnalysisFrom the maintainer
Most online viewers quietly upload your file - this one does not
If you read the small print on free GEDCOM viewers, a lot of them upload the file to a server "for processing" and keep a copy. That file contains full names, dates of birth, and addresses of living relatives. It is sensitive data.
GEDminer parses everything in a Web Worker on your own machine. There is no upload, no server-side copy, and you can verify it by opening the network tab in your browser before dragging the file in - you will see no request go out.
How to open a GEDCOM file in the browser
- Visit the homepage at [gedminer.com](/).
- Drag your .ged or .gedcom file onto the upload area, or click to browse.
- The file is parsed locally - no upload, no signup. A progress bar shows decoding status.
- Once loaded, you land on the Overview dashboard. Use the top tabs to jump between People, Locations, Integrity and Discovery.
- Refresh the page and the file disappears from memory unless you've saved the parsed data to your account (optional, requires a free account).
What you can do beyond just viewing
A viewer shows you the data. GEDminer also tells you what to *do* with it:
- Find errors - impossible dates, broken links, encoding bugs.
- Find duplicates - likely duplicate individuals across messy merges.
- Find research gaps - missing censuses, gaps in lifespans, unsourced facts.
- Find living relatives to test - DNA testing planner ranks who to ask.
- Find the next research step - auto-prioritised plan generator.
Most viewers stop at "here's the data". GEDminer is built to surface the parts that matter.
Privacy is the point
Family trees contain dates of birth, full names, addresses, and occupations of living people. Uploading them to a third-party server is a real privacy risk - and most online viewers do exactly that, often without saying so clearly. GEDminer parses everything in the browser. The original .ged file is not uploaded. Optional cloud sync (for saving trees) transmits the parsed, structured data over HTTPS and stores it in a managed database encrypted in transit and at rest. The original .ged file is never uploaded.
Supported formats
Any file conforming to the GEDCOM 5.5, 5.5.1 or 7 specification will open. That covers exports from Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, MyHeritage, Ancestry, Family Historian, Gramps, Heredis, Reunion, Legacy, and almost every other genealogy program in use today.
Proprietary backup files (.ftw, .ftm, .rmgc, .ftb) are not GEDCOM - open them in the program that created them and export as GEDCOM first.
Step-by-step guides
Walk-throughs covering every part of the workflow, from upload to cleanup.
How to Analyse a GEDCOM File Online
A step-by-step walkthrough for uploading your GEDCOM file and getting instant insights into your family tree - demographics, errors, migration patterns, and research priorities.
What Is a GEDCOM File? The Complete Guide
Everything you need to know about the GEDCOM file format - its history, structure, how to create one, and what you can do with it using modern analysis tools.
Free Genealogy Tools and Resources: The Complete List
You don't need expensive subscriptions to research your family tree. Here are the best free genealogy tools, databases, and resources available in 2026.
Genealogy Data Privacy and Security: Protecting Your Family Tree
Your family tree contains sensitive personal information. Learn about genealogy data privacy risks, how to protect your research, and why GEDminer's local-first approach keeps your data safe.
Fix Garbled Names in GEDCOM Files: Character Encoding Guide
If accented characters, apostrophes, or non-Latin scripts look broken in your family tree, the problem is almost always character encoding. Here is how to diagnose and fix it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GEDCOM viewer really free?
Yes. Opening, viewing and analysing any GEDCOM file is free with no signup. Optional features like saving up to 3 trees to a managed cloud database (encrypted in transit and at rest) require a free account.
Will my family data be uploaded anywhere?
Your original .ged file is not uploaded. The viewer parses it in the browser using a Web Worker. Cloud save, which only runs if you sign in and choose to save, sends the parsed, structured tree data so you can reload it later. Separately, community comparison uses anonymous, aggregate Tree Health statistics contributed automatically when the analysis runs - four percentages, your individual and family counts, and a one-way tree fingerprint computed locally from hashed identity signals. No names, dates, places or GEDCOM records are sent.
What happens to the file when I close the tab?
It is removed from memory. There is no persistent local storage unless you choose to save it (either to your account's cloud storage or the browser's IndexedDB), in which case you can reload it on your next visit.
Can I view a GEDCOM file on my phone?
Yes. The viewer is fully responsive and works on phones and tablets, though large trees (50,000+ individuals) work best on a desktop or laptop for performance reasons.
Which genealogy programs export compatible files?
Any program that exports standard GEDCOM 5.5 / 5.5.1 / 7. That includes Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, MyHeritage, Ancestry, Family Historian, Gramps, Heredis, Reunion, Legacy, and dozens more. Vendor backup formats (.ftw, .ftm, .rmgc) need to be exported as GEDCOM first.
What if my file is very large?
The viewer is designed and optimised for files up to 150 MB and trees of 200,000+ individuals. Files above 150 MB (up to a 500 MB hard cap) can be loaded after acknowledging that performance is untested and recommended only for the most powerful computers. Parsing happens in a background worker, so the UI stays responsive. Files above the 150 MB cap are not saved to the cloud — results can still be exported to a spreadsheet.
Can I edit my GEDCOM file in the viewer?
No, by design. GEDminer is read-only. Make edits in your main genealogy software, re-export, and reload to see the updated analysis. This avoids any risk of accidentally rewriting your file in a way that breaks downstream tools.
Does it work offline?
After the first load, the core viewer runs entirely client-side. Map tiles need a connection to render, but everything else (people, statistics, errors, exports) keeps working without one.
Related tools
Free GEDCOM Analyzer: Inspect, Validate and Visualise Your Family Tree Online
Upload a .ged file and get instant analysis: errors, duplicates, missing dates, migration maps, census gaps and a data quality score.
Free GEDCOM Validator: Check Your Family Tree File for Errors Online
Validate any GEDCOM file (.ged, .gedcom) for impossible dates, broken family links, duplicates, encoding bugs and structural issues.
Genealogy Data Analysis: Statistics, Maps and Patterns from Your GEDCOM File
Turn your family tree into insight: birth-year charts, migration maps, surname distributions, occupation breakdowns and lifespan trends. Free GEDCOM analytics.
Family Tree Data Quality: Score, Audit and Improve Your Genealogy Research
A weighted Tree Health Score - 40% completeness, 30% sourcing, 30% consistency - plus an anonymous community percentile.
Ready to analyse your tree?
Drop your .ged file into GEDminer and get a full diagnostic in seconds. Without an account, your file is parsed in your browser and never uploaded.
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