The best free Hedge alternative for Mac in 2026
Copsy is a free Mac camera-offload app and the closest free alternative to Hedge (now OffShoot). 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. It's free, with no card limit and no signup.
OffShoot (formerly Hedge) now costs roughly $169–$249. If you mainly need fast, verified offloads, Copsy does that part for free.
Download Copsy for Mac → · macOS 13+ · no account needed
What happened to Hedge?
Hedge, long the default fast-offload app for DITs and shooters, rebranded its offload product to OffShoot and raised the price substantially. Where an older Hedge license sat around $39, OffShoot now runs about $169, with OffShoot Pro around $249 (a roughly 30-day rental option exists too). It's still an excellent, battle-tested tool trusted on huge productions. But the price jump sent a lot of people looking for a cheaper or free option that still verifies copies properly.
That's the gap Copsy fills. It does the parts most people actually rely on every shoot: auto-detect the card, copy it to a drive (and the cloud), and verify it, all for free.
Copsy vs OffShoot (formerly Hedge) — honest comparison
| Feature | Copsy | OffShoot (was Hedge) | MhlFileVerify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | FREE | ~$169–$249 PAID | FREE |
| ASC-MHL checksum verification | ✓ built-in | ✓ | ✓ verify only |
| Auto-detect card type (Sony/ARRI/RED/BMD/Canon/drone/audio) | ✓ | partial | verify only |
| Copy to a drive AND cloud (Drive/Dropbox) in parallel | ✓ | drives only | — |
| Telegram notification when done | ✓ | — | — |
| No signup / no account | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Platform | macOS 13+ | macOS / Windows | macOS |
Pricing and features change — figures above were last verified in June 2026. Check each vendor's site for current details.
Who should switch to Copsy — and who shouldn't
Copsy is the right free alternative if you…
- Offload SD / CFexpress / camera / drone / audio cards on a Mac and want it verified, not just dragged in Finder.
- Want a drive copy and a Google Drive or Dropbox copy from the same offload.
- Don't want to pay $169+ for the core "copy a card safely" workflow.
- Like getting a Telegram ping when the card is done so you can walk away.
Stick with OffShoot / a paid tool if you…
- Need Windows support today (Copsy is macOS-only for now).
- Rely on a specific advanced pipeline (LTO/LTFS, Premiere/Resolve panel integrations, large studio toolchains).
How Copsy offloads a card
- Plug in the card. Copsy detects it by content and recognizes the camera/source.
- 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