The short version: Finder is free and unlimited but doesn't verify copies. Paid tools add checksum verification, multiple destinations and automation. Check whether a "free" option is a real free tier or a trial: ShotGrab is free up to 128GB every 14 days with nothing disabled, while OffShoot offers a 10-day trial.
Ask these before comparing prices
- Do you need Windows support, or is your whole set on Mac?
- Does a client or studio require ASC MHL manifests or branded delivery reports?
- How many cards a day, and how much of that time do you want to spend configuring the tool versus shooting?
- Is fast culling and captioning your main job, with copying secondary?
The options, side by side
| Price | Free tier | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finder | Free | Unlimited, but no verification | Small, low-stakes transfers with time to double-check |
| ShotGrab | €5 pass (30 days) · €29/yr · €39 lifetime (launch price until 30 Nov 2026) | 128GB / 14 days, full features | Solo shooters and small crews on Mac who want it automatic |
| OffShoot | $169–$249, or $49/30 days | 10-day full trial | DIT teams needing ASC MHL and branded reports |
| ShotPut Pro | $169 perpetual | Limited trial | Cross-platform sets with complex renaming needs |
| Backed | Not announced | Waitlist only | Client/job folders and Assets sorting — not launched yet |
| Stow | Free, no paid tier planned | Fully free; Apple Silicon Macs and Windows | Teams that want MHL manifests and PDF reports at no cost (compared here) |
| Photo Mechanic | Subscription or perpetual license | Trial | Fast culling, captioning and IPTC tagging first, copying second |
Why the free tier's fine print matters more than the sticker price
A "free" tool that's really a 10-day trial isn't a free tier — it's a countdown to a purchase decision. A free tier worth comparing has no expiration on the software itself, even if it caps volume (ShotGrab's cap, for example, is 128GB every 14 days, with nothing else disabled). That's the difference between "try it" and "actually use it on real work before paying."
Honest recommendations
If your set runs Windows machines or has to deliver ASC MHL-sealed media, OffShoot or ShotPut Pro are the safer defaults — that's genuinely their strength, not ours. Stow, a free newcomer from July 2026, also writes MHL manifests and runs on Windows, if you don't mind starting each copy yourself. If your main job is culling thousands of images fast and tagging them, Photo Mechanic's ingest is a reasonable stop on the way to its real strength, which is everything that happens after the copy. If you're a solo shooter or a small crew on a Mac who wants to set a destination once and keep working while cards keep arriving — without configuring a preset each session or paying a few hundred dollars up front — that's the specific gap ShotGrab fills. And if it's a handful of low-stakes files with time to double-check manually, Finder remains genuinely fine.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free SD card offload tool that verifies copies?
Yes. ShotGrab has a free plan up to 128GB of copied files every 14 days with SHA-256 verification and every feature included, and Stow is free and writes MHL manifests. Finder is free but doesn't verify anything.
Is Finder good enough to copy memory cards?
For a handful of low-stakes files with time to double-check by hand, yes. It doesn't verify copies with a checksum, so it's a risk on large cards you're about to reformat.
What's the difference between a free tier and a free trial?
A trial expires and turns into a purchase decision. A free tier keeps working indefinitely, even if it caps volume, so you can use it on real work before paying.
Which paid offload tool should a DIT use?
If the set runs Windows or has to deliver ASC MHL-sealed media, OffShoot or ShotPut Pro are the safer defaults.