Best way of storing your data - recommendations please

[YorksClare]

As a beginner, I have been storing my research in the GRAMPS database on my computer. I have dabbled with it a bit, stuck loads of stuff in there and made separate lists of different core families to try to make searching through it all easier. With a bit of luck I should be able to stitch them all together into a massive meta tree later.

However, annoying issues have arisen, which spoil the purpose I had of producing the chart. I cannot get the darned thing to display whole families, only the descendent lines. Now, this is great for grandparents ad infinitum, but I wanted the list to allow me to see who my aunties and uncles were across the generations, and cousins too. I cannot seem to get it to do this. So I would like to know:

1. Does anyone know of a gramplet that will let me see things the way I want them, or
2. Is there another free-issue database that I can copy my data into without too much hassle that does what I want?

I know that the GRAMPS programme uses the GEDCOM format so others in that format should make transferring less of a mess, but I would like to know whether I could sort this out!

Generally, any recommendations on free or paid services in a list so that beginners could see the benefits and pitfalls would be nice! Thank you.

[snoopysue]

I have mine in several formats: online I use Tribal Pages (main tree), and ancestry (mainly as an aid to searching). I regularly back up to gedcom file. I also have mainy files with pages for most members of the family (not so much for the distant cousins etc than direct ancestors), also files with certificates, copies of wills etc.
It's usually a question of taste how people store things.

[Northern Lass]

I have an older family tree maker programme and you can see the whole tree with that. "all in one tree" from one individual
up and down.

It then lets you take a name and shows trees with ancestors or descendants on.

But you have to pay for the programme.

[SRD]

I use Family Tree Builder, free from MyHeritage (although the free online site is limited), which gives the options you're looking for, but GRAMPS is a Linux project and you might be able to ask the people who run the project to create and incorporate those options.
I do have a paid for subscription to MyHeritage as my tree is quite large, I also keep my tree on my own website using phpgedview which I update monthly. I have out of date trees all over the place, usually stopping when the free limits are reached But I regularly save a gedcom, along with attached photos, from FTB to both my internal and external hard drives in case of catastrophe.