As you might expect, we are sometimes asked what the difference is between the FamilySearch Wiki and The Family History Guide. You may have wondered that as well, so this article will point out some similarities and differences between the two that may be helpful.

Similarities:

• Both help with family history research. As a side note, the full name of the Wiki is “FamilySearch Research Wiki.”
• Both have country pages. The Wiki uses separate pull-down menus on a map, plus a master list. The Family History Guide has a Countries menu with region sub-menus, plus an “All Countries” page divided into larger and smaller countries.
• Both have resources to help you learn to use FamilySearch.
• Both are free of charge and have no paid advertising.

Differences:

• The Family History Guide is a designed website, while the Wiki is—yes, a wiki. Each format has its own characteristics and advantages: the custom design of The Family History Guide allows for more visual elements and variety, while the wiki format allows more people to contribute to the content.
• Speaking of content, the Wiki has nearly 100,000 articles. By contrast, The Family History Guide is smaller and lighter: it links to a wide variety of articles (including many from the Wiki) and videos rather than housing them on its site.
• The Wiki uses native translation for its language support and currently has 10 non-English languages supported. The Family History Guide uses Google Translate on each page, with support for 100 languages.
• One of the most noticeable differences is the organization of information. The Family History Guide uses a structured Learning System of Projects, Goals, and Choices to guide learning and provide access to just-in-time resources.
• The design of The Family History Guide allows for the use of embedded videos that can be watched right from the page.
• The Wiki deals with the research aspects of FamilySearch, while navigation and other tasks are handled in the Help Center. The Family History Guide provides a single Project menu for learning to use FamilySearch.
• While the Wiki has limited information about Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Findmypast, The Family History Guide has complete, built-in Projects for learning just about any aspect of these platforms, from building and navigating trees to sorting through DNA match information.
• The Wiki has a number of practice handouts you can download and use for research techniques. The Family History Guide has built-in Exercises in most of its Choices, helping you evaluate your learning progress. Additionally, The Family History Guide uses an Online Tracker database where you can take notes, set your progress indicators, and run reports on your overall learning progress.

We hope you enjoy and benefit from both the FamilySearch Wiki and The Family History Guide!