Copsy vs Tusk: the free Tusk alternative for Mac offload

Written by a working DIT · Copsy · Last verified June 2026

Short answer

Copsy, a free Mac camera-offload app, is the closest free alternative to Tusk. Plug in an SD, microSD or CFexpress 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. It's free, with no card limit and no signup.

To be fair: Tusk is a good, genuinely affordable app (around $49–$79, last verified June 2026) that streams to multiple drives with checksum verification and keeps a handy file index. If you want parallel cloud copies, auto-detect and a Telegram ping for free, Copsy is the better fit. If you want Tusk's drive-focused index and don't mind paying once, Tusk is a fine choice.

Download Copsy for Mac → · macOS 13+ · no account needed

What is Tusk?

Tusk (tuskbackup.com) is a small, modern Mac backup and offload app. It does the SD-card offload job well: it streams straight from the card to several external drives at once, the footage never has to touch your Mac's internal disk, and it verifies copies with checksums. It also keeps a running index of every file you've offloaded (which drive it's on, whether it's backed up, and where to find it months later). As last verified in June 2026, it's priced around $49 on a launch offer (~$79 regular), with a 14-day free trial.

It's a credible, well-built tool. The honest reason to look past it is cost and scope. Tusk is paid and built around local drives, so it doesn't push a copy to the cloud during the offload, doesn't auto-detect the camera/source by card content, and doesn't message you when a card is done.

What is Copsy?

Copsy is a free macOS app (macOS 13+) for offloading camera cards. It auto-detects the card by content — Sony, ARRI, Blackmagic (BMD), RED, Canon, drones, audio recorders, and basically any card it can read — then copies the footage to an external drive and, if you want, to Google Drive or Dropbox in parallel. It verifies every file with ASC-MHL checksums (the film-set / Netflix-delivery standard), organizes the files by date and source, and sends a Telegram message when the card is done and verified. No signup, no card limit. It's free.

Copsy vs Tusk — honest comparison

Feature	Copsy	Tusk
Price	FREE	~$49–$79 PAID (14-day trial)
Checksum-verified copies	✓ ASC-MHL	✓ checksum
Auto-detect card type (Sony/ARRI/RED/BMD/Canon/drone/audio)	✓	manual
Copy to a drive + cloud in parallel	✓	drives only
Organize by date and source	✓	✓ + file index
Telegram notification when done	✓	—
No signup / no account	✓	✓
Platform	macOS 13+	macOS

Pricing and features change — figures above were last verified in June 2026. Check tuskbackup.com for current details.

Who should use Copsy — and who should use Tusk

Choose Copsy if you…

Want a verified offload for free, with no card limit and no signup.
Want a drive copy and a Google Drive or Dropbox copy from the same offload.
Like that it auto-detects the camera/source by card content so you don't set things up each time.
Want a Telegram ping when the card is done and verified, so you can walk away.

Choose Tusk if you…

Want a polished, affordable paid app and don't mind a one-time cost.
Care most about a persistent file index across all your drives — knowing months later which disk holds which clip and whether it's backed up.
Work entirely with local drives and don't need a cloud copy during the offload.

Both apps verify copies, so neither is a "risky Finder drag." The real split is cost and scope: Copsy is free and reaches the cloud in parallel; Tusk is paid and leans into local-drive backup with file tracking.

How Copsy offloads and verifies a card

Plug in the card. Copsy detects it by content and recognizes the camera or source.
Pick destinations. An external drive, plus optionally Google Drive or Dropbox — copied in parallel.
Copy and organize. Copsy copies and sorts by date and source while you do other work.
Verify with ASC-MHL. Every file is checksum-verified so nothing copied wrong or got truncated.
Get pinged. A Telegram message tells you the card finished and verified. Nothing lost.

Other free offload options, honestly

Copsy isn't the only free way to handle this, and it's worth being straight about the rest. DaVinci Resolve's Clone Tool is free and verifies with xxHash if you already live in Resolve. MhlFileVerify is free but verify-only — it checks an existing MHL, it doesn't copy. Terminal shasum / md5 works but is fully manual. A plain Finder drag is not verified and is the one to avoid for footage you can't reshoot. Copsy's pitch is doing the full chain (detect → copy → verify → organize) in one free app, with the cloud copy and the Telegram ping on top.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free alternative to Tusk for Mac?

Yes — Copsy. It auto-detects camera cards, copies footage to an external drive and optionally to Google Drive or Dropbox in parallel, and verifies every file with ASC-MHL checksums. Tusk is an affordable paid app (around $49–$79 as last verified in June 2026); Copsy does the core offload-and-verify workflow for free.

How much does Tusk cost?

As last verified in June 2026, Tusk costs around $49 on a launch offer and around $79 at regular price, with a 14-day free trial. That's genuinely affordable for an offload tool. Pricing changes, so check tuskbackup.com for current figures.

What does Copsy do that Tusk doesn't?

Copsy is free, auto-detects the camera or source by card content, can copy to a drive and to Google Drive or Dropbox in the same offload, verifies with the ASC-MHL film-set standard, and sends a Telegram message when the card is done. Tusk is a solid paid app that streams to multiple drives with checksum verification and keeps a file index, but it's paid and focused on local drives.

Does Copsy verify copies like Tusk does?

Yes. Both verify copies with checksums. Copsy uses ASC-MHL checksums — the same verification standard used on film sets and for Netflix-style delivery — so you know each file copied bit-for-bit with nothing lost or corrupted.

Can Copsy copy to a drive and the cloud at the same time?

Yes. Copsy can copy your footage to an external drive and to Google Drive or Dropbox in parallel during the same offload, so your local backup and your cloud copy happen together. This is the main thing Tusk does not do.

Is Copsy really free?

Yes, Copsy is free to download and use today, with no card limit and no account required. It runs on macOS 13 or later.

Offload your next card for free

Copsy — a free Mac camera-offload app. Verified copies to a drive and the cloud, with a Telegram ping when it's done.

⬇ Download Copsy for Mac

macOS 13+ · No card limit, no signup