GEDCOM vs GEDCOM-X: What\'s the Difference and Which Should You Use?
GEDCOM is the universal text-based format for family trees. GEDCOM-X is FamilySearch\'s modern JSON-based successor. Here\'s when to use each, what software supports them, and which one to share.
The short answer
If you are exporting a family tree to share, save or analyse in 2026, export GEDCOM 5.5.1 or GEDCOM 7 - both are universally supported and round-trip cleanly between every major program. GEDCOM-X is a more modern format developed by FamilySearch, but it is not widely supported by desktop genealogy software and is rarely the right choice for sharing.
The rest of this guide explains why, and the cases where GEDCOM-X does make sense.
What GEDCOM is
GEDCOM (GEnealogical Data COMmunication) is a plain-text format originally developed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1984 to let different genealogy programs exchange data. It is line-based, human-readable in a text editor, and uses simple level-numbered tags:
\\\ 0 @I1@ INDI 1 NAME John /Smith/ 1 BIRT 2 DATE 12 MAR 1850 2 PLAC London, England \\\
Three versions are in current circulation: 5.5 (1995), 5.5.1 (2019, the de facto industry standard for two decades) and GEDCOM 7 (2021, the modern revision with cleaner UTF-8 handling, improved sourcing and richer media support).
What GEDCOM-X is
GEDCOM-X is a separate format developed by FamilySearch, designed from scratch around modern web standards. It uses JSON or XML as its serialisation format, with a richer data model that makes it easier to represent sources, evidence, and analytical conclusions as first-class objects.
GEDCOM-X is not a new version of GEDCOM. It is a parallel, incompatible standard. A program that can read GEDCOM cannot necessarily read GEDCOM-X, and vice versa.
Key differences
Format
- GEDCOM: line-based plain text with level numbers and tags.
- GEDCOM-X: structured JSON or XML.
Data model
- GEDCOM: facts attached to individuals; sources optionally cited.
- GEDCOM-X: evidence, conclusions and personas as first-class objects, more aligned with the Genealogical Proof Standard.
Adoption
- GEDCOM: supported by every major desktop and online genealogy program for 30+ years.
- GEDCOM-X: supported primarily by FamilySearch APIs; very limited desktop support in 2026.
File size
- GEDCOM: compact (a few MB for tens of thousands of individuals).
- GEDCOM-X: typically 2-3x larger as JSON, more if XML.
Tooling
- GEDCOM: huge ecosystem of validators, viewers, converters.
- GEDCOM-X: small ecosystem, mostly FamilySearch-internal.
Which should you export?
For sharing, backing up, or analysing in third-party tools (including GEDminer), export GEDCOM 5.5.1. Universal compatibility, mature tooling, and small file size.
If your software offers it and your destination supports it, GEDCOM 7 is a solid choice - it cleans up the encoding issues and modernises the spec without breaking compatibility too badly.
Reach for GEDCOM-X only when you are integrating directly with FamilySearch APIs, or working inside a project that has explicitly chosen GEDCOM-X as its data exchange format. For everyday genealogy work in 2026, it is rarely the right pick.
Does GEDminer support GEDCOM-X?
No. GEDminer reads standard GEDCOM 5.5, 5.5.1 and 7 files. If you have a GEDCOM-X file, your best option is to convert it back to GEDCOM 5.5.1 in your source program (FamilySearch can typically export both).
The practical reason is simple: 99%+ of GEDCOM files in the wild are still classic GEDCOM. Supporting GEDCOM-X separately would add maintenance burden for a tiny fraction of users.