Published · Written by Long Road Software LLC. AI writes this guide and checks it against the app and manual; Mike does not review each one. How we write these guides.
Hedge and OffShoot Alternatives for Mac: Six Ways to Prove a Card Copy
OffShoot is the copy app from Hedge; many people still call it "Hedge". Every app below proves a card copy with a checksum, not just a finished drag in Finder. They differ in who they are built for: a DIT on a film set, an assistant editor, or someone who shoots and edits their own footage. We make MediaFlowSwift, so it is listed first, but we have tried to be fair to the rest.
All prices below are in US dollars, as listed on each app’s own site on 5 November 2026.
Why look for an OffShoot alternative?
OffShoot is a fast, well-made offload tool. It copies many sources to many destinations in one job, writes ASC MHL in its Pro edition, and runs on Mac and Windows. OffShoot is $169 and OffShoot Pro is $249 per activation, each with a year of updates, after a 10-day trial (hedge.co). People look elsewhere when they want something cheaper or free, a subscription instead of a one-time price, or help with the work that comes after the copy. Our MediaFlowSwift vs OffShoot page goes into detail.
1. MediaFlowSwift: for people who shoot and edit their own footage
MediaFlowSwift proves every copy with SHA-256, then keeps going. It gives each clip a category, files it into Category and Camera folders, and lets you review clips with star ratings and tags. It frees up space only after every clip is proved copied. You can search clips by what was said in them, and it archives to numbered drives with a record of what went where. Studio Pro drafts YouTube titles, descriptions, chapters and tags.
- Not for you if: you need an MHL file or a DIT-style transfer report, or you work on an Intel Mac or Windows. Those versions are not out yet. It also copies each import to one destination; the second copy comes when you archive.
- Price: Studio is $49.99 a year and Studio Pro is $99.99 a year, or $4.99 and $9.99 a month. There is a 14-day free trial with no card, and one key covers up to three Macs.
2. ShotPut Pro: a long-standing offload tool for Mac and Windows
ShotPut Pro, from Imagine Products, makes verified offloads with your choice of checksum, ASC MHL and PDF reports with thumbnails. It runs on Intel and Apple silicon Macs and on Windows.
- Not for you if: you want to review, sort or archive clips in the same app.
- Price: $169 for a perpetual licence. Extended update coverage is $59 a year, and a 30-day rental is $60. The demo allows 10 offloads within 30 days (imagineproducts.com).
- More: MediaFlowSwift vs ShotPut Pro
3. Pomfort Offload Manager: on-set offloads with reports
Offload Manager copies to several destinations at once with xxHash, MD5 or SHA-1, runs jobs in parallel, writes ASC MHL and makes offload reports with one click.
- Not for you if: you’d rather not pay again when the licence ends. Every licence is for a set time.
- Price: $49 for 14 days, $75 for a month or $199 for a year, before tax. There is a free 10-day trial (pomfort.com).
- More: MediaFlowSwift vs Silverstack and Offload Manager
4. Pomfort Silverstack XT: the full DIT workstation
Silverstack XT adds a clip library with more than 100 metadata fields per clip to Offload Manager’s copying. It also adds SDI playback, scopes, QC notes, custom PDF reports, and ALE, CSV and XML exports for editorial.
- Not for you if: you don’t work on a film set. It is far more than a solo creator needs, and it is priced for productions.
- Price: $899 a year as a subscription, or $109 for 10 days, $199 for a month or $359 for two months, before tax (pomfort.com).
- More: MediaFlowSwift vs Silverstack and Offload Manager
5. Kyno: browse, log and convert footage where it sits
Kyno backs up with checksum verification and MHL, to several destinations. It also previews, logs, tags, renames and converts footage without importing it first, on Mac and Windows.
- Not for you if: you want the app to clear your card or track your archive drives for you.
- Price: Kyno is $159 once and Kyno Premium is $349 once, each with a year of updates. There is a free trial (lesspain.software).
- More: MediaFlowSwift vs Kyno
6. habitat flow: a light offload tool with a free plan
habitat flow checks every copy with xxHash64, writes an ASC MHL report with every offload, and has a free iPhone app that shows the offload live.
- Not for you if: you need more than offloading. It does not review, archive or publish.
- Price: free for up to 150 GB a week. Pro is $69 a year, or $149 once for a licence with no expiry and a year of updates. Prices are per user (habitat-flow.com).
- More: MediaFlowSwift vs habitat flow
And the free way: Finder and a checklist
You can copy a card in Finder and check it by hand. Finder alone doesn’t run a checksum, so a damaged file can slip through. For a few cards a month, it may be all you need. MediaFlowSwift vs Finder and a spreadsheet shows how to check a copy by hand and when the free way is good enough.
How do they compare at a glance?
| App | Mac and Windows | MHL | Sorts and reviews clips | Lowest price to keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MediaFlowSwift | Apple silicon Mac only | — | ✓ | $49.99 a year |
| OffShoot | ✓ | Pro | — | $169 once |
| ShotPut Pro | ✓ | ✓ | — | $169 once |
| Offload Manager | Mac | ✓ | — | $199 a year |
| Silverstack XT | Mac | ✓ | ✓ | $899 a year |
| Kyno | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | $159 once |
| habitat flow | Mac | ✓ | — | Free up to 150 GB a week |
A dash means the feature is not offered, or is not listed on that app’s own pages.
Which one should you pick?
For a DIT on a film set, look at Silverstack XT, Offload Manager or ShotPut Pro. To browse and convert footage on Mac or Windows, look at Kyno. For a free, light offload tool, look at habitat flow. If you shoot and edit your own footage on an Apple silicon Mac and want one app from card to archive, try MediaFlowSwift free for 14 days, with no card.
Sources
- OffShoot product and pricing page, hedge.co
- ShotPut Pro for Mac, imagineproducts.com
- Offload Manager, pomfort.com and its licences
- Silverstack XT, pomfort.com and its licences
- Kyno features and pricing, lesspain.software
- habitat flow, habitat-flow.com
All prices checked 5 November 2026.