FAQ

Is my data locked in?

No — that's the whole point. Your family history is a folder of plain, readable files, and you can export a standard GEDCOM on top of that any time. If StemmaFiles disappeared tomorrow, you'd lose nothing: the files open in any text editor, and the GEDCOM imports into any other genealogy program.

Do I need to understand the files?

Not at all. The app gives you everything through its own windows — the files are just there underneath, so you're never trapped. Curious people can open them and read along; everyone else can happily ignore them.

Can I use it with Obsidian, or on my phone?

You don't need either, and StemmaFiles never depends on them. But your notes follow the same simple conventions as note apps like Obsidian and Logseq, so if you already keep notes in one — even on your phone — you can point it at your vault and browse your family as a linked web of pages, reading and lightly editing on the go. StemmaFiles picks those edits up next time you open it.

Does it work offline?

Completely. The world map and a place-name index are built right into the app, so nothing needs the internet. Looking a place up online to find its coordinates is the one optional extra, and it only happens when you ask. No account, no tracking.

Windows says it "protected your PC"

Early builds aren't code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen shows a caution on first run. Click More info → Run anyway and you're in. Proper signing is on the list before the public release.

Which platforms?

Windows first. The app is cross-platform under the hood, so Linux (.deb/AppImage) and macOS (.dmg) installers are on the roadmap.

How big a tree can it handle?

Big. It can import, save and reload a 30,000-person tree in under a second. The person-focused views stay instant no matter how large your tree grows; the "show me everyone at once" views ease off a little on very large vaults so they never bog down.

I research Polish records — does it help?

Yes, that's home ground. Paste a Geneteka or Szukaj w Archiwach result link and it becomes a ready source with the register, years and names filled in; feast-day dates from Latin church books are understood (see Dates in old records); and the whole interface is available in Polish, German, French and Spanish besides English.

What does it cost?

The core app is free forever — no limits, nothing expires. The researcher's workbench (sources and citations, the research log, the Registry, PDF reports, the family website, historical maps) is the PRO pack: a single purchase, no subscription of any kind — 99.99 zł at the early-access price, 199.99 zł later. You can try PRO free for 30 days inside the app first. Details on the pricing section.

I found a bug, or I have an idea

Please write to contact@stemmafiles.com. During alpha every message genuinely shapes what gets built next.