What would you consider the best subscription research sites

I use Ancestry.co.uk. I don't know if it's the best because it's the only one I've ever used. It's £13.99 a month so what I usually do is sign up then stop after 6 months or so then a few months late sign up again. This gives the site time to match the family with other trees and records and make more suggestions. The 'hints' then give me a starting point to find out more information.

That's a good idea I didn't realise you could cancel on a yearly subscription.

I use Ancestry. I usually paid for a six month membership and then renewed (sometimes I took some time away from it). Initially I only paid for UK records, but later paid a bit more for Worldwide records to look into those relatives who had emigrated.

If in Scotland then "Scotlands People" site is what you need. It is excellent - and you just buy credits as you need them - and it really does work out quite cheap to download original certificates.

I have only paid for Ancestry and I have 1 month at a time (remember to cancel about 3 weeks in).
They also usually give free use of basics on bank holiday weekends.

I use Ancestry and have done for a while. So does DH. We're happy with it.

However, we both use the free parts of sites like Family Search and Scotland's People to supplement our searches as they sometimes have information that Ancestry doesn't. On such sites you usually have to pay to see the originals of the documents rather than the transcripts.

You can use Ancestry FREE at most Libraries.

I’ve been compiling my family tree for over 20 years (with breaks in between) and have never had to pay a subscription. You can get free access to births, marriages and deaths on www.freebmd.org and www.freereg.org. Also try www.familysearch.org - they have lots of stuff including census lists, military records etc. I’m not knocking the subscription sites, just can’t see the point if you can get the same for free.

Another vote here for Ancestry. I used it to pin down details of my grandmother’s generation and then got hooked!

I started off with free censuses online and with the LDS website too, FamilySearch.org
I now subscribe to Ancestry but the LDS site has some useful information- it all depends on whether or not someone has contributed the information, I think.

Beware of some Ancestry public trees as they are not always correct and people often copy the information without checking.

Is Ancestry good for all Ireland records? I am torn between using Ancestry or RootsIreland. Anyone with any experience of these sites for researching Irish families? I feel I will have to use Ancestry eventually for English side and hope I can access French records on it too. Does the Worldwide membership give you access to England, Ireland, Scotland, France and America for starters? Thanks for your help.

Currently Ancestry is available via our local county council library service for use at home. This is due to Covid. I think it is a great way of making sure before you commit. Another good free site is the extensive Mormon site In America.

Thanks, Oldbat1. I am going to try the Irish site for a month. My library also has ancestry but not sure I can access at home. I will have to enquire when it is one again.

Callistemon - I do so agree about the trees on Ancestry. Some one had the cheek to alter my father's date of birth and place of birth! Couldn't find who had done it, so after that I made all 3 of my trees private.

I use Genes Reunited as well as Ancestry. I have in the past paid for both. With Genes reunited still able to use some of the free information, especially electoral rolls etc. Otherwise I pay for a month when I want to go back and do a bit more.

You could get ancestry through our local library for free or try a free trial . I have spent hours on family research over the pandemic times and loved it . familysearch.org is the Mormon site and free.
I have now joined Ancestry and Myheritage and both are good. I reckoned it was worth the money as I had got so much out of it . Dabble a bit before you pay a lot . I had my DNA done by Ancestry and was delighted with the results .

I like Ancestry,too. I have subscription to Find My Past which is good for certain things but overall I think ancestry has more. I also use the free familysearch but it doesn't have as much detail, photos etc as ancestry You get what you pay for in general. I have been researching for about 20 years,too- it is a good thing to do if there's nothing on tv of an evening.

I go through my family research paperwork and make a list of what I need to look for, then I buy a monthly subscription on Ancestry and give it a blitz for that month. I have found some fascinating information on individual free sites. One time I Googled my Great-Great Uncle's Bomber Command Squadron. I found a website set up by an ex-RAF serviceman and he had the hand written, eye witness account from a Lancaster bomber pilot who watched as my G-G Uncle's plane crashed shortly after take off. Thankfully, he survived but it showed me that the big sites have lots of information but these small sites can put some meat on the bones.