GenoCanvasFig. 1A family in four stepsAdd relatives from the menu on a person, fill in years and markers, draw a relationship, then save the file to your own computer. The key lists only the symbols the drawing uses.
Fig. 1Adding relativesRight-click a person to add parents, a sibling, a partner or a child. GenoCanvas draws the new people and lines and keeps each generation on its own row.
Fig. 2DetailsType a year of death and the person is marked deceased, with their age worked out. A tick adds a health marker, and the key adds each symbol as you use it.
Fig. 3RelationshipsPick a line, such as close, distant or conflict, and drag from one person to another.
Fig. 4SavingSave a file to your own computer. Nothing is uploaded: once the page has loaded, the app makes no network requests.
GenoCanvas is a genogram maker that runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere
Draw family diagrams in standard genogram notation. Once the page has loaded it makes no network requests, and there is no account to make, so what you draw stays on your device.
Try the free version Full version, £19.99 once
Free: 15 people, 3 generations, initials and years. The animation above shows the full version.
What it does
Select a person and add a partner, child, sibling or parents. GenoCanvas draws the new people and lines and keeps each generation on its own row. You can also draw any line by hand.
- Couples: married, engaged, living together, separated, divorced, widowed, or a casual relationship, with dates.
- Children: biological, adopted and foster, and fraternal or identical twins.
- Relationships between people: close, distant, cut-off, conflict, abuse, neglect and others, with a direction where it matters.
- Markers for health or other characteristics that you name and colour yourself, household outlines, ages and years, and a key that lists only what you used.
- Mouse, touch or keyboard, with undo and redo, on a laptop, tablet or phone.
Where your work goes
Nowhere. Here is why that is true, and how to check it yourself.
| Network | Once the page has loaded, its security policy forbids every network request. Switch off your Wi-Fi and carry on drawing, or watch the Network tab in your browser’s developer tools while you work: it stays empty. |
|---|---|
| Accounts | The app has none. |
| Tracking | No analytics, no cookies, and no code from anyone else: the app is one file we wrote. |
| Storage | In your browser if autosave is on (you can turn it off on a shared computer), and in files you save. Both stay on your device. |
| What it does not cover | GenoCanvas does not encrypt your files, and it cannot protect an unlocked or shared computer. Keep drawings where you keep your other client records, and use initials in the free version. Browsers can clear saved data, so save a file as your backup. |
The one-page security statement, for your information governance or IT team.
The notation
Every symbol here is drawn by the app itself. The guide (PDF) explains them in full.
People
- Male
- Female
- Non-binary, other, or not recorded
- The index person
- Deceased
- Pregnancy
- Miscarriage
Couples and children
- Married
- Living together, not married
- Separated
- Divorced
- Adopted child
- Twins
- Identical twins
Between people
- Close
- Distant
- Cut-off
- Conflict
- Abuse, with its direction
- Neglect
Free and full
The free version is a complete drawing tool that cannot hold a client’s name, which makes it a safe way to start. Its files open in the full version.
| Feature | Free | Full version |
|---|---|---|
| Names and dates | Initials and years only | Full names, dates, notes, text labels, titles |
| Size | 15 people, 3 generations | No limit |
| Export | PNG with a small “Made with GenoCanvas” mark | PNG, PDF (A4 or A3), SVG, print, anonymised copies |
| Text summary and import from text | No | Yes |
| Saved files | Plain-text .genogram.json | The same |
| Runs on | Current Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari | The same, from one HTML file of about 400 KB that you open from your computer |
| Updates | Always the latest | Download the latest from your account at any time |
Price
One payment, no subscription. Your licence is a file with your name on it, which you can download again from your account. Refunds within 14 days, no reason needed.
Student
The same full version. It needs a .ac.uk or .edu email address, which is also the address your licence is sent to.
£12.99
Payment is taken by Paddle, our merchant of record. Afterwards you sign in with an emailed link to put your name on the licence and download your copy. Terms and refunds
Team packs
For one organisation. After buying, you name each copy in your account. For more than 25, or an invoice or purchase order, email us.
| Team size | Price | Per person | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 people | £79 | £15.80 | Buy |
| 10 people | £139 | £13.90 | Buy |
| 25 people | £299 | £11.96 | Buy |
Who makes it
GenoCanvas is made and sold by SmallHoursSoftware, in the UK. For questions, bug reports and team orders, write to SmallHoursSoftware@proton.me.
The terms of sale and privacy policy are short and in plain English.
Questions
- Does it work offline?
- Yes. Once loaded, the free app keeps working with no connection, and the full version is a single file you open from your computer.
- What if I lose my file or change computer?
- Sign in to your account with the email you bought with and download your copy again, along with any updates.
- Can I try the full version first?
- The free version has the same drawing tools within its limits. If the full version is not for you, there is a 14-day refund.
- Which devices does it work on?
- Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, on laptops, tablets and phones.
- Can my whole team use it?
- Yes, with a team pack of 5, 10 or 25 copies, each named for one person. A single licence is for one named person.