Comfy Desktop manages local ComfyUI installations for AI image and video generation.

The main limitation is the hardware and storage demand

Comfy Desktop is designed for running generative models on a computer, so its practical usefulness depends on having a dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics card with substantial VRAM. Without one, models can run on the CPU, but generation is far slower. Model files can also consume tens of gigabytes, making a small SSD a poor fit.

For people with suitable hardware, Comfy Desktop handles the setup and maintenance of local ComfyUI installations, including the Python environment, PyTorch, and GPU libraries. Its isolated, prebuilt setup avoids manual pip or CUDA configuration, while the full node editor provides control over how generation workflows are assembled.

How local workflows are organized

ComfyUI represents image and video generation as connected nodes. A workflow can include steps for loading models, encoding prompts, and producing results, so users can inspect and adjust the process rather than relying only on a single prompt field. This flexibility comes with a learning curve: understanding and arranging node workflows may be challenging for beginners.

The application can run open models such as Flux, Wan, and LTX on local hardware. After models have been downloaded, local generation can work offline. The actual experience depends on the selected model and the computer’s available resources, particularly graphics memory and disk capacity.

Managing installations and extensions

One launcher can maintain several independent ComfyUI installations. Each installation has its own relocatable Python environment and prebuilt components, which allows separate setups to be kept side by side. This can be useful when maintaining distinct configurations without combining them into one installation.

ComfyUI Manager handles installation and updates for community custom nodes, extending the available workflow components. The desktop application also checks for and installs its own updates. These are separate parts of the experience: the launcher manages the desktop app, while the manager supports extensions used within ComfyUI.

Choosing local setup and planning disk space

On first launch, users can choose a local installation or Comfy Cloud, a hosted option. Choosing local setup is the relevant path for running models on the PC. Allow at least 4.85 GB for each installation before accounting for models, which may add tens of gigabytes.

Removing the desktop app does not automatically delete its installations, models, or outputs. Those files need to be removed separately if they are no longer wanted, so users should account for retained data when planning storage or uninstalling.

License and intended use

Comfy Desktop is open source under the GNU AGPL v3, and local use is free. Comfy Cloud is a separate subscription service with a small free trial. The desktop application is best suited to artists and tinkerers who want local control and are comfortable building workflows; people seeking a simple prompt box may find its node-based approach unnecessarily involved.