wikis / ComfyUI / wiki / syntheses / install-methods-compared.md view as markdown
Install Methods Compared
| Portable (Win) | Comfy Desktop | Manual | comfy-cli | Comfy Cloud | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows x64 | Win 10+ (x64/ARM64), macOS 13+ (Apple Silicon); Linux unsupported | Win/macOS/Linux | Win/macOS/Linux | browser |
| Setup effort | extract & run | installer | venv + git + pip | one CLI | none |
| Python env | embedded (python_embeded) |
managed per instance | yours (venv/conda) | managed | n/a |
| Manager | enable manually (--enable-manager) |
included, enabled | enable manually | — | pre-installed platform |
| Multi-instance | one per extract | yes — built for it | manual | snapshots/bisect | n/a |
| Updates | update/ batch scripts |
launcher-managed | git pull |
comfy update |
always current |
Decision rules
- Windows beginner with a GPU → Portable: zero environment work; mind the GPU-matched download (CUDA 13.0 vs cu126 for 10-series) and avoid the dependencies update script (install windows portable).
- Want multiple ComfyUI instances / cleanest GUI experience → Desktop (Manager already on). Not on Linux.
- Linux, or you want control → Manual (venv discipline is mandatory) or comfy-cli — the CLI adds snapshot/bisect, which doubles as the update-breakage debugging tool (troubleshooting playbook).
- No hardware / try first → comfy cloud (400 free credits/month).
- Automation/scripting against hosted models without local install →
comfy generatepartner nodes (Beta — install manual and cli).
The cross-cutting trap
Whatever the method, each install is its own Python environment — breakage usually means that environment's torch/deps changed, not your system Python (troubleshooting playbook § CUDA).