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General Questions

Comfy Desktop is a complete rewrite that acts as a multi-installation manager. Unlike Legacy Desktop which was a single-install application, Comfy Desktop lets you install, manage, and run multiple ComfyUI versions side by side. It also adds snapshots and model download management.For users of Legacy Desktop, check the Migration Guide to transfer your existing setup.
Yes. The source is on GitHub. Comfy Desktop is dual-licensed: AGPL-3.0-or-later, or a commercial license from Comfy Org (licensing@comfy.org).
Comfy Desktop is one of several installation options. You can still use the Portable (Windows) install, Manual Install, or Comfy Cloud depending on your needs. Desktop is recommended for most users due to its ease of use and features like one-click updates and snapshot management.

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Installation & Setup

See system requirements for full details.
  • Windows: Windows 10+, x64 or ARM64. A dedicated GPU (NVIDIA / AMD) is recommended, but not required.
  • macOS: macOS 13+ (Ventura), Apple Silicon (M1+)
  • Linux: No official installer yet. Build from source. A dedicated GPU is recommended.
  • Disk: At least 4.85 GB per standalone installation
  • RAM: 8 GB minimum, 16 GB recommended
On Windows, the standalone installation does not require admin rights. On macOS, you’ll need admin rights for the initial system-wide installation. On Linux, you run from source in user space. You may need admin rights only to install Node.js or other system packages.
Download the latest Windows or macOS build from the official ComfyUI Download page. Linux has no published installer; build it from source.
Yes, they can coexist. However, we recommend migrating your installations to the new Comfy Desktop and eventually uninstalling Legacy Desktop. See the Migration Guide.

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Usage

On the Dashboard, click New Instance to create a standalone instance, or open New Instance and choose Add Existing Instance to track a git clone or Windows portable install. Use the Comfy Cloud card to connect to Cloud.
  • Standalone: Fresh install with bundled Python
  • Add Existing Instance: Track a git clone or portable install
  • Cloud: Connect to Comfy Cloud
Yes! Comfy Desktop is designed for this. Each installation runs in its own isolated environment with its own Python and dependencies. You can launch them simultaneously in separate windows.
Models are shared across instances by default. Configure shared folders in Desktop Settings → Storage.
  • Standalone: The install itself lives in its installation folder. Custom nodes and the Python environment are per-install. Models usually come from the shared model directories.
  • Git clone / portable (tracked): Data stays in that existing folder (models/, custom_nodes/, user/). You can still opt into shared models, input, and output.
Comfy Desktop automatically creates a snapshot before every update. Snapshots capture:
  • Custom nodes and their versions
  • Model files
  • Settings and configuration
You can browse and restore any snapshot from the app’s Snapshots section.

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How to Stop/Exit Comfy Desktop

To stop a running ComfyUI instance (stop the Python backend while keeping the app open):
  1. Click the ⋮ (kebab) menu on the instance card
  2. Select Stop
  3. Confirm in the dialog
This stops the ComfyUI Python process but leaves the desktop app window open so you can relaunch anytime. To fully quit the desktop app, use File → Quit (or the equivalent OS quit command). Closing the last window returns to the Dashboard unless you quit the app.

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Troubleshooting

  1. Windows: Try running as administrator once
  2. macOS: If you see a security warning, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway
  3. Linux: Make sure FUSE 2 is installed (sudo apt install libfuse2)
  4. Check the Downloads page for the latest version
  • Ensure your NVIDIA drivers are up to date
  • On Linux, verify CUDA toolkit is installed
  • Check that the installation type supports GPU (Standalone and Git Clone do; Cloud connections use remote GPU)
  • Check your internet connection
  • Try taking a manual snapshot first via the app menu
  • If the issue persists, restore to a previous snapshot and try again
The Desktop app writes a rotating app.log file. The fastest way to find it is Desktop Settings → Logs → Diagnostics → Open logs folder (☰ menu in the top-left).Default log folders:
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Comfy Desktop\logs
  • macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Comfy Desktop
  • Linux: ~/.config/comfyui-desktop-2/logs
Look for app.log. Previous sessions rotate to timestamped app.log_*.log files.For ComfyUI process output (not the Desktop app itself), open the instance Manage panel and use the Terminal tab. See Manage.
Comfy Desktop and its installations are separate on disk. To uninstall the app and its installations:
  1. Delete the installations from within the app (right-click → Remove) or delete the installation folders manually
  2. Uninstall the app using your system’s standard method (Add/Remove Programs on Windows, drag to Trash on macOS, package manager on Linux)
That does not delete app settings, logs, shared models, or outputs. For leftover folders and a complete cleanup, see Windows, macOS, or Linux.
No. Comfy Desktop is designed as a local GUI application and does not support headless, server-only, or remote operation modes. It requires a graphical desktop environment to launch and manage ComfyUI instances.For headless or server deployments, use a manual ComfyUI installation or the Windows Portable build instead.