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I have got to the stage again where I need a sub. I have used Ancestry very successfully in the past and have dabbled with Find My Past, so which shall I take up a sub with? Which site do "you" find best and why, or, do they both give the same (seems to me that they do) and it's just a case of ease of use.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Having used both quite recently, I'm a huge fan of FMP. Their search function seems to be more intelligent (particularly when searching for a date of death) and the results seem clearer. You still get wrong 'matches' but the results just look clearer on the page somehow. You can refine your search and they do match to what you enter.
If you wish to search a particular database, it's very easy to navigate to that one particular area. If you intend to stay with them, they give a loyalty discount. You can also take a 6 month subscription(or used to be able to) so could try them out for a shorter time.

With Ancestry, I always feel you have to wade through reams of completely irrelevant 'matches' and often the correct match has been put into their 'Matches below are less likely to be for your ancestor, but still might be helpful' section despite providing plenty of info to suggest otherwise.

I'm not sure how they compare on cost these days. There's also the fact that they have different records available. Probably most useful on Ancestry at the moment is the Parush records for Lancashire and W. Yorkshire.

It doesn't matter which you go with. You will see a post on a forum or a 'News' release somewhere saying that the one you did not go with is giving access to records you would desperately like to see

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

FMP £109.95
Ancestry £107.40
Very little difference. Ancestry does a 2week free trial, I can't see one on FMP. I think if FMP would have done one then I would have gone with them for 2weeks to give it a proper trial, if I wasn't happy then I could go on Ancestry. The fact that Ancestry has had the Lancashire Parish Registers recently added is a big draw. Mmmmmm I do need one or t'other, I'm going into a decline without it.
Durrrr---front page FMP 14day trial---I'd be dangerous with a brain Trouble is, that is only the Foundation package.
I think I will go with that and then make a decision.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

At least it would give you a rough idea of the navigation of the site which I think is one of the more important bits

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

I'm back on this juggling exercise again after doing the last two years with Ancestry. I have until end of November till the end of my sub.
Has anyone got any arguments for or against either of these?

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

FMP has changed beyond recognition in the last few months. Can't say I am keen on the search/site navigation but then I am not a big fan of the changes Ancestry made a couple of years ago.

I find, these days, that it doesn't pay to stay with any one site for the full year and tend to take a month here and a month there with whichever has the dataset needed for the particular ancestors I am hunting. It also means I can vancel completely if I know I am going to have a busy month with no time for the thints that really matter
FMP recently did a partial release of Staffordshire records and Ancestry have Lancashire and West Yorkshire records so I end up needing both sites at various times. I find the bmd index on FMP better than that on Ancestry making it easier to find a date of death.

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

Thanks Mel, I have a while to ponder on it.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

It can work out slightly more expensive to swap and change due to the small percentage they add on for a monthly sub instead of the year but I do find it so much more beneficial. There is the occasional month when I will sub to both but this is rare and tends to be if I am away and able to throw myself at it.
It's annoying isn't it, why can't they just join forces and offer all the datasets under one roof!

(By the way, FMP doe now have some Yorkshire records though I don't think they are West Yorks)

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!