ComfyUI Installation Matrix: Windows, Linux & macOS

Fast decision

Prefer the simplest official package that supports your machine. Choose manual installation when your platform or accelerator is not covered by Desktop or Portable, or when you deliberately need version-level control.

WINDOWS + NVIDIA

Desktop for convenience

The official Windows Desktop package manages Python and dependencies and uses stable releases. ComfyUI labels Desktop as beta, so verify the current notes before installing.

WINDOWS + NVIDIA

Portable for isolation

The official Windows Portable bundle carries an embedded Python environment. Extract it, launch the supplied NVIDIA batch file and update with its own scripts.

OTHER SUPPORTED HARDWARE

Manual for control

The official manual route covers Windows, Linux and macOS and documents NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Apple Silicon and additional accelerators.

There is no single official “minimum VRAM” number for every ComfyUI workload. A base image graph and a multi-model video graph are different jobs. Choose the installation by platform; test capability with a fixed workflow.

Platform and accelerator matrix

This is a routing table, not a copy of fast-changing install commands. Follow the linked maintainer page for the current package and dependency versions.

Platform	Accelerator	Recommended route	What the maintainer says	Update path
Windows	NVIDIA	Desktop	Standalone beta package; automatic Python/dependency setup; stable-release track.	Desktop updater
Windows	NVIDIA or CPU fallback	Portable	Self-contained Windows bundle with embedded Python and supplied launch files.	Bundled update scripts
Windows	Recent AMD hardware	Check current experimental support	The current requirements page limits experimental Windows AMD support to listed RDNA generations. Confirm the live list before downloading.	Route-specific
Linux	NVIDIA, AMD, Intel or documented accelerator	Manual	Virtual environment, official repository, hardware-appropriate PyTorch and ComfyUI requirements.	Git + environment dependencies
macOS	Apple Silicon	Desktop	Official beta Desktop supports Apple Silicon; the page also documents a Homebrew route.	Desktop updater or Homebrew
macOS	Apple Silicon	Manual	Use when you need explicit environment or repository control.	Git + environment dependencies
Windows or Linux	Intel Arc	Manual requirements	The current official requirements describe native PyTorch `torch.xpu` support for Intel Arc.	Git + environment dependencies
Any documented manual platform	CPU only	Manual or Portable fallback	`--cpu` is a compatibility fallback; official guidance warns that it is very slow.	Match the base installation

Download this routing matrix as CSV. The linked maintainer pages remain the source of truth for changing package and hardware support.

Before installation

Write down the intended route first. It is easier to reproduce an environment when you know which updater owns it.

Verify the source. Start at docs.comfy.org or the Comfy-Org repository, not an advert or repackaged download.
Check free storage. Models are often much larger than the application. The Windows Desktop guide currently recommends roughly 15 GB just for initial installation space.
Use a dedicated environment. Desktop and Portable provide one; the manual guide instructs users to create a virtual environment.
Record the baseline. Save operating system, GPU, driver, Python, PyTorch and ComfyUI version before adding custom nodes.
Do not expose the service by accident. The Portable guide’s --listen example enables LAN access. Use it only when network exposure is intended and controlled.

Models and reusable paths

ComfyUI searches typed subdirectories under ComfyUI/models. The official installation pages also document extra model paths for people who share model files between installations.

Default layout

ComfyUI/
  models/
    checkpoints/
    text_encoders/
    vae/
    loras/
    controlnet/
    upscale_models/

External model library

Portable and manual installations provide extra_model_paths.yaml.example. Copy it to the documented filename, keep it in the ComfyUI root and use absolute paths you control.

Desktop uses its own documented extra-model configuration location. Do not move a Desktop configuration merely because a Portable tutorial shows a different path.

Model availability is not model permission. Retain the source URL, licence and file hash for each downloaded model. A workflow that loads locally is not automatically licensed for every commercial use.

Update without blending installation types

Use the updater owned by the route you installed. Snapshot working environments before upgrades that affect Python or dependencies.

Installation	Normal update	Rollback preparation
Desktop	Use automatic updates or Menu → Help → Check for Updates.	Export important workflows and record the current version.
Windows Portable	Use the scripts in the bundle’s `update` directory. The official guide warns that full Python dependency reinstalls can cause conflicts.	Copy the portable directory or create a filesystem snapshot before a dependency-wide update.
Manual	Activate the correct environment, pull the repository and install its current requirements.	Record the working commit and environment package list before changing either.

The official update guide is the source of truth if these summaries and the current release ever disagree.

Custom nodes: useful code is still code

Custom nodes expand ComfyUI and may install Python dependencies. ComfyUI’s own documentation warns that malicious or unverified plugins can compromise a system.

Begin with a core-node workflow and confirm the base installation works.
Prefer the current ComfyUI Manager and its registry; inspect author, repository and documentation before installation.
Install one node pack at a time, restart and check startup logs for import failures.
Record exact versions or commits for reproducible workflows.
Use the installation’s Python environment. Do not install node dependencies into system Python.
Do not paste secrets into workflows, node settings or screenshots.

See the official custom-node installation and security guidance.

Primary sources

These maintainer pages were checked on 5 August 2026. Use their current wording when package versions or supported hardware change.

System requirementsSupported operating systems, Python versions and accelerator overview.
Windows DesktopOfficial Desktop installation, migration, environment and troubleshooting.
Windows PortableBundle structure, launch files, model paths and updates.
macOS DesktopApple Silicon Desktop and Homebrew route.
Manual installationVirtual environment, repository and platform-specific dependencies.
Update ComfyUISeparate Desktop, Portable and manual update procedures.
Install custom nodesMaintainer security warnings and supported installation methods.
ComfyUI source repositoryProject code, releases, issues and exact commit history.