ALCE 3.0 for Mac

Mac Photo & Design

Updated Nov 4, 2026

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ALCE 3.0 for Mac is a Photoshop extension whose name spells out its job: Advanced Local Contrast Enhancer. Developed by Davide Barranca and sold through the Know How Transfer / CC-Extensions store, it increases contrast locally — within detailed areas of the picture — rather than across the whole frame, which gives photographs more shape, depth and a recognisable three-dimensional feel without the flat look of a global contrast push.

Local contrast is the finishing step many landscape and commercial photographers apply just before output, because what looks punchy on screen often prints dull. ALCE packages that technique into a panel that lives inside Photoshop on Mac and PC. Version 3 targets Photoshop CC and later, it is paid software, and photographers who outgrow it can step up to its successor, NEXT, from the same team.

Key Features

• Boosts local contrast to add depth and a distinct 3D quality to otherwise flat images
• Radius control separates global contrast (large radius) from fine local contrast (small radius)
• Works as a Photoshop panel via the Window > Extensions menu, close to your normal workflow
• Supports RGB, CMYK, Grayscale and Lab images in both 8-bit and 16-bit depths
• Records the setting in the layer name, so an edit can be recreated later exactly

How to Download

1. Download from the official site
2. On the official ALCE page, buy the version matching your Photoshop — ALCE 3 for Photoshop CC onwards on Mac.
3. Install the panel following the supplied quick-start guide, restart Photoshop, and open ALCE from Window > Extensions.

Is ALCE free?
No. ALCE is a paid single-user licence, not a free full version. Check the official page for current pricing in your region, and note that VAT is added for EU customers.

Does ALCE work outside Photoshop?
No. ALCE is a Photoshop panel and filter, so it needs a compatible Photoshop installation on your Mac. If you run a newer Photoshop and want a live preview and faster processing, the same developers offer NEXT as its modern successor.