Copsy vs ShotPut Pro: a free Mac alternative in 2026
Copsy, a free Mac camera-offload app, is the closest free alternative to ShotPut Pro for shooters and DITs on macOS. Plug in an SD, CFexpress or camera card and Copsy auto-detects it, copies the footage to your drive and to Google Drive or Dropbox in parallel, verifies every file with ASC-MHL checksums, and pings you on Telegram when it's done. Free, with no card limit and no signup.
ShotPut Pro is the long-standing industry standard. It runs roughly $169 for a perpetual license plus about $59/yr for updates, on Mac and Windows, with PDF reports and the Imagine HQ iOS app. If you need those things, ShotPut Pro earns its price. If you mainly need fast, verified Mac offloads with a cloud copy, Copsy does that part for free.
Download Copsy for Mac → · macOS 13+ · no account needed
What is ShotPut Pro?
ShotPut Pro, made by Imagine Products, has marketed itself as the industry standard for offloading video, audio and image files for years, and that reputation is earned. It's a mature, dependable tool used on countless productions to copy camera cards to multiple destinations, verify them with checksums (MD5, xxHash and others), and generate professional PDF reports clients and insurers often expect. For a lot of crews it matters that it runs on both Mac and Windows, and it pairs with the free Imagine HQ iOS app for real-time job status and push notifications across linked workstations.
As verified in June 2026, ShotPut Pro is about $169 for a perpetual license. Each license includes 12 months of updates and support, and extending that coverage runs roughly $59 per year. That's a fair price for a battle-tested standard. It's still a recurring cost, though, and it's Windows-and-Mac generalist software rather than a free, Mac-native tool.
What is Copsy?
Copsy, a free Mac camera-offload app, does the part of the job most shooters actually rely on every shoot, and does it for free. It auto-detects camera cards by content (Sony, ARRI, Blackmagic/BMD, RED, Canon, drones, audio recorders), copies the footage to an external drive, optionally pushes the same footage to Google Drive or Dropbox in parallel, organizes everything by date and source, and verifies every file with ASC-MHL checksums. That's the same film-set / Netflix-delivery verification standard. When it finishes, it sends a Telegram message so you can walk away. No signup, no account, no card limit.
Copsy vs ShotPut Pro — honest comparison
| Feature | Copsy | ShotPut Pro | MhlFileVerify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | FREE | ~$169 + ~$59/yr PAID | FREE |
| Checksum verification | ✓ ASC-MHL | ✓ MD5 / xxHash | ✓ verify only |
| Auto-detect card type (Sony/ARRI/RED/BMD/Canon/drone/audio) | ✓ by content | manual presets | verify only |
| Copy to a drive AND cloud (Drive/Dropbox) in parallel | ✓ | drives only | — |
| PDF offload reports | — | ✓ | — |
| Phone monitoring | ✓ Telegram ping | ✓ Imagine HQ iOS | — |
| No signup / no account | ✓ | license | ✓ |
| Platform | macOS 13+ | macOS / Windows | macOS |
Pricing and features change. The figures above were last verified in June 2026. Check each vendor's site for current details.
Where ShotPut Pro is genuinely better
ShotPut Pro beats Copsy if you need:
- Windows. ShotPut Pro runs on Mac and Windows; Copsy is macOS-only for now.
- Formal PDF reports. Productions, insurers and clients often require a signed PDF offload report. ShotPut Pro generates these; Copsy verifies with ASC-MHL but doesn't produce a PDF deliverable.
- Team monitoring. The Imagine HQ iOS app links multiple workstations for shared visibility across all offloads, which is useful on bigger units. Copsy's Telegram ping is per-machine and simpler.
- A long track record. ShotPut Pro has been the default offload tool on professional sets for years, with mature support behind it.
Where Copsy wins
Here are the reasons people switch:
- It's free. No perpetual license, no annual update plan, no card limit.
- Parallel cloud copy. Copsy writes to your drive and Google Drive or Dropbox in the same offload, so a remote backup happens automatically.
- Auto-detect by content. Copsy recognizes Sony, ARRI, BMD, RED, Canon, drone and audio cards by what's on them, instead of you picking a preset.
- ASC-MHL by default. Every offload is verified to the film-set / Netflix standard, no configuration.
- Telegram, not another app. The finished-and-verified ping arrives on any phone with no separate iOS app to install or log into.
Who should switch — and who should stay
Switch to Copsy if you…
- Work on a Mac and want verified offloads without paying $169 + $59/yr.
- Want a drive copy and a Google Drive or Dropbox copy from the same offload.
- Offload SD / CFexpress / camera / drone / audio cards and want auto-detection, not manual presets.
- Just want a Telegram ping when the card is done so you can walk away.
Stay on ShotPut Pro if you…
- Need Windows support today (Copsy is macOS-only for now).
- Have to hand clients or insurers a formal PDF offload report.
- Run a multi-workstation team and want the Imagine HQ shared dashboard.
- Are standardized on ShotPut Pro across a facility and don't want to change a proven pipeline.
How Copsy offloads a card
- Plug in the card. Copsy detects it by content and recognizes the camera/source automatically.
- Pick destinations. An external drive, plus optionally Google Drive or Dropbox, copied in parallel.
- Walk away. Copsy copies, organizes by date and source, and verifies every file with ASC-MHL checksums.
- Get pinged. A Telegram message tells you it finished and verified, nothing lost.
Frequently asked questions
Offload your next card for free
Copsy, a free Mac camera-offload app. Verified copies to a drive and the cloud, nothing lost.
⬇ Download Copsy for Mac