Family Tree Maker download: where to get it safely for PC and Mac
Family Tree Maker has exactly two legitimate download sources. Everything else advertising a free download for PC distributes an unlicensed copy. This page shows the real route, and how to recover a purchase you made years ago.
- Current release
- FTM 2024
- Platforms
- Windows & macOS
- Updated
Downloading FTM 2024 from the official source
The publisher publishes Family Tree Maker. They sell it three ways: download, DVD and USB. The software is identical in each. The download costs least and arrives fastest.
Buy from the official store or one of their two approved international resellers.
Create the account with the email address you want the licence tied to. That address becomes your proof of purchase later.
Download the installer and keep the file. Copy it to an external drive alongside your tree backups.
Record the licence key somewhere outside the computer. A photograph on your phone counts.
What your computer needs before you install
Check this before buying, because FTM 2024 dropped support for older systems that FTM 2019 still ran on.
| Windows | Mac | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit or later, including Windows 11 | macOS Big Sur 11 or later |
| Memory | 2 GB, 4 GB recommended | 4 GB, 8 GB recommended |
| Disk space | 800 MB | 900 MB |
| Screen | 1024 × 768 | 1280 × 800 |
Windows 11 is fully supported. A 32-bit copy of Windows 10 is not, and that is the most common reason an installation refuses to start on an older laptop.
Family Tree Maker free download — what those sites actually offer
Family Tree Maker has no free version and no trial. Every result promising a free download distributes a cracked build. Those files carry malware, fail to register, receive no updates, and lock you out of support from anyone, us included.
The pattern repeats across download portals, marketplace listings and discount key sites. Three things give them away:
- They advertise a product that has never had a free edition.
- They ask you to disable your antivirus before installing.
- They supply a key generator instead of a purchase record.
A cracked copy also breaks the part you care about most. It cannot sync with Ancestry and it cannot restore a TreeVault backup, because both check the licence.
Re-downloading software you already bought
People lose installers constantly — a dead hard drive, a new computer, a purchase made in 2017 on an email address they barely use. The publisher keeps purchase records and reissues downloads free.
- Sign in to the publisher orders and downloads page with the email you bought under.
- Search old email for the original receipt if you no longer remember which address that was.
- Contact the publisher directly with the approximate purchase date and the name on the order. They handle this routinely.
Licence recovery belongs to the publisher, not to us. We will not charge you for a call you can make yourself for free. See what the software costs for the full picture on licences.
When the installer will not download or will not run
| What happens | Usual cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Download stops partway | Connection dropped, or the browser cancelled it | Restart the download; compare the file size to the store listing |
| File vanishes after downloading | Antivirus quarantined it | Check the quarantine list and restore the file |
| Publisher cannot be verified | Windows SmartScreen on a legitimate installer | Confirm the source, then allow it |
| Installer opens then closes | Insufficient permissions | Run as administrator on Windows; check Gatekeeper on Mac |
| Error code during install | Varies by code | See installation error codes |
An old version that won't install on current Windows
Releases from the 2010 to 2012 era predate several changes to how Windows lets a program write to its own folders, and they sometimes stop installing or launching after a major Windows upgrade. Compatibility mode usually settles it: right-click the installer or the program icon, choose , tick Run this program in compatibility mode, and select Windows 7.
Worth saying plainly, though: a version that old is running without security updates and without support for current file formats. Compatibility mode buys you time to get your data out, and getting your data out is the better goal.
Installing on a second computer under one licence
A standard licence covers your own use. Installing on your desktop and your laptop sits within that. A Family Pack licence covers several people in one household and costs roughly twenty dollars more.
Moving to a new machine entirely is a different job. The installer is the easy half; the tree file and its media folder are the part people lose. Back up with media included before you start.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I download Family Tree Maker?
The publisher's official store, or one of their two approved international resellers. Those are the only sources that produce a licence key which registers.
Does Family Tree Maker work on Windows 11?
Yes. FTM 2024 needs Windows 10 64-bit or later, and Windows 11 is included. It does not run on 32-bit Windows.
Can I still download Family Tree Maker 2005, 2012 or another old version?
Not legitimately. Those editions are no longer sold or supported, and sites offering them distribute unlicensed copies. If you have a tree from an old edition, a current version opens it through the publisher's free converters.
Is there a free download?
No. No free edition, no trial. Sites offering one distribute cracked builds that carry malware and cannot sync, update or register.
I bought it years ago. Can I download it again?
Yes, and it costs nothing. The publisher keeps purchase records and reissues downloads. Sign in with the email address you bought under.
Can I install it on two computers?
Your own machines, yes. For several people in one household, buy the Family Pack.
The installer downloaded but will not run.
Security software blocks it most often. Check your antivirus quarantine, confirm the download finished, and compare the file size against the store listing.
Does the DVD or USB version differ from the download?
No. Identical software. The physical formats exist for people on slow connections or those who want a copy on a shelf.
Installer failing repeatedly?
We work through install errors on a screen share. No fix, no fee.