How to Update ComfyUI Safely: Desktop, Portable and Git (Plus Uninstall) 2026

New models in ComfyUI almost always need a recent version. If a template will not load, a node shows up red, or a model says “unknown architecture”, the fix usually starts with updating ComfyUI. The steps are different for Desktop, Portable and manual installs, and one wrong button can break your custom nodes.

This guide shows you how to update ComfyUI safely on every install type in November 2026, how to pick Stable or the latest version, how to update custom nodes, how to roll back when an update breaks something, and how to uninstall ComfyUI completely if you want a fresh start.

Which ComfyUI Do You Have?

Find your install type first, because each one updates differently.

Note that Comfy Desktop is now a multi-installation manager: one launcher can hold several ComfyUI instances. The launcher app and each ComfyUI instance update separately.

The current ComfyUI version on GitHub is 0.44.0 (checked 9 November 2026). New model templates often need a recent minimum version, for example LTX-2.5 needs 0.32.0 or newer.

Before You Update: 3-Minute Backup

Updates are usually smooth, but custom nodes can break. Do this first:

1. Save your workflows. Export any open workflow you care about (Workflow > Export). Saved workflows live in ComfyUI/user/default/workflows.
2. Take a snapshot. Desktop makes one automatically before updating. On Portable or manual installs, open ComfyUI Manager and use Snapshot Manager > Save snapshot, which records ComfyUI and node versions.
3. For Portable, copy the whole folder except models if you have the disk space. It is the easiest full rollback.
4. Close ComfyUI and wait for any running jobs to finish.

Update Comfy Desktop

There are two things to update: the Desktop app and the ComfyUI instance inside it.

Update a ComfyUI instance

1. Open the Chooser, the home screen that lists your instances.
2. Click the ⋮ icon on the instance card and choose Manage.
3. Open the Update tab. The ComfyUI card shows your version and an Update available badge when there is something newer.
4. Pick the Update Channel: Stable (default, tested releases) or Latest on GitHub (newest commits).
5. Click Update Now. The confirmation shows which versions you move between, and Desktop saves a snapshot before it updates.

The same tab has a PyTorch card. Use Change PyTorch only if a model or node asks for a newer CUDA or torch build; Desktop backs up the environment and restores it if the switch fails.

Update the Desktop app itself

Comfy Desktop checks for app updates shortly after it starts and every 10 minutes while it runs. With Automatically install Desktop updates on (the default), the update applies at the next launch on Windows, or when you quit on macOS.

To do it by hand: click ☰ > Desktop Settings > Updates, then Restart & Update.

Update ComfyUI Portable

The Portable build has its own embedded Python in python_embeded, and update scripts in the update folder:

1. Close ComfyUI (close the black command window).
2. Open ComfyUI_windows_portable\update.
3. Double-click update_comfyui.bat and wait until it says to press a key. Keep your internet connection stable.
4. Start ComfyUI again with run_nvidia_gpu.bat (or run_amd_gpu.bat / run_intel_gpu.bat).
5. Hard-refresh the browser (Ctrl+F5) so the new frontend loads.

Very old Portable builds (more than a year old) are often easier to replace: download the current ComfyUI_windows_portable_nvidia.7z from the ComfyUI GitHub releases, extract it, and move your models, custom_nodes, user and output folders across.

Update a Manual (Git) Install

1. Activate your virtual environment:

   # venv on Windows
   venv\Scripts\activate
   # venv on macOS / Linux
   source venv/bin/activate
   # conda
   conda activate comfyui

2. Pull the latest code:

   cd /path/to/ComfyUI
   git pull

3. Update the dependencies (do not skip this):

   pip install -r requirements.txt

   This updates the frontend, workflow templates and node docs, which ship as separate packages such as comfyui-frontend-package and comfyui-workflow-templates.

4. Restart ComfyUI: python main.py (add --enable-manager if you use the built-in Manager).

Using comfy-cli? Run comfy update to update ComfyUI, or comfy update all to update ComfyUI and your custom nodes.

If git pull complains about local changes, you edited a core file. Run git stash, then git pull again.

Stable vs Latest: Which to Use

To move a manual install to the newest stable tag:

git fetch --tags
git checkout $(git describe --tags `git rev-list --tags --max-count=1`)

Update Custom Nodes

Updating ComfyUI does not update your custom nodes. Old nodes are the most common cause of red nodes and import errors after an update.

1. Open ComfyUI Manager (the Manager or puzzle-piece button). Desktop has it built in; on Portable and manual installs see our ComfyUI Manager install guide.
2. Filter to installed nodes and click Update on the ones with updates, or use Update All.
3. Restart ComfyUI when asked, and refresh the browser.
4. Check the console for IMPORT FAILED lines. Those nodes need an update, a fix from the author or removal.

For nodes installed with Git, update them by hand:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/ComfyUI-Some-Node
git pull
# Portable:
..\..\..\python_embeded\python.exe -m pip install -r requirements.txt
# Manual install (venv active):
pip install -r requirements.txt

Check That the Update Worked

• Version number: Settings (gear icon) > About shows the ComfyUI and frontend versions. The console also prints ComfyUI version: 0.xx.x at startup.
• Frontend warning: if the log says Falling back to the default frontend, the frontend package did not update. Run the pip step again.
• Templates: Workflow > Browse Templates should list the new templates for recent models.
• A quick test: run a simple text-to-image template to confirm the GPU still works.

Roll Back a Bad Update

• Desktop: Manage > Snapshots tab, pick the snapshot from before the update and restore it. Selecting the Stable channel on an instance ahead of Stable also rolls back.
• Portable or manual with Manager: Manager > Snapshot Manager > Restore the snapshot you saved.
• Manual with Git: find the commit that worked and check it out:

  git log --oneline
  git checkout <commit-hash>
  pip install -r requirements.txt
  # later, back to the newest:
  git checkout master && git pull

• Portable copy: if you copied the folder before updating, delete the broken one and rename the copy back.

How to Uninstall ComfyUI Completely

Comfy Desktop on Windows

1. Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Comfy Desktop and click Uninstall.
2. This only removes the launcher. Delete these by hand for a full clean-up:
   • %APPDATA%\Comfy Desktop (settings and logs)
   • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Comfy-Desktop\ComfyUI-Installs (your instances; older ones may be in %USERPROFILE%\ComfyUI-Installs)
   • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Comfy-Desktop\ComfyUI-Shared (shared models and outputs; older ones in %USERPROFILE%\ComfyUI-Shared)
   • Any custom install folders you chose

Comfy Desktop on macOS

1. Applications > right-click Comfy Desktop > Move to Trash.
2. Delete ~/Library/Application Support/Comfy Desktop and ~/Library/Logs/Comfy Desktop.
3. Delete ~/ComfyUI-Installs and, if you do not need the models, ~/ComfyUI-Shared.

Portable

Portable does not install anything into Windows. Close it and delete the ComfyUI_windows_portable folder. That is all.

Manual / Git install

Delete the ComfyUI folder and its virtual environment (venv folder, or conda env remove -n comfyui). Optional: clear the pip cache with pip cache purge and Hugging Face downloads in ~/.cache/huggingface to free space.

Troubleshooting

New templates or nodes are missing after updating

You probably updated the code but not the packages. Run pip install -r requirements.txt in the ComfyUI environment (Portable: python_embeded\python.exe -m pip install -r ComfyUI\requirements.txt). On Desktop’s Stable channel, the feature may simply not be in Stable yet; switch to Latest on GitHub.

“Falling back to the default frontend”

The frontend package failed to install, usually because of network or permissions. Run the pip step again, check your connection and, if needed, open the terminal as administrator. You can also install the exact versions listed in ComfyUI/requirements.txt one by one.

Red nodes or “IMPORT FAILED” after the update

Update the custom nodes in Manager. If one still fails, disable it, restart and check the node’s GitHub issues.

“Unknown model architecture” or a model will not load

Your ComfyUI or a loader node (such as a GGUF loader) is too old for that model. Update both, and check the model card for the minimum ComfyUI version.

Torch not compiled with CUDA / GPU not used after the dependencies script

The script installed the wrong PyTorch for your package. Reinstall the CUDA build that matches your Portable (cu130 for the standard package, cu126 for the legacy one), or extract a fresh Portable and move your folders across.

git pull says “Your local changes would be overwritten”

Run git stash, then git pull. If you do not need the changes, git checkout -- . discards them.

ComfyUI keeps reconnecting after the update

Usually a crash in the backend. Read the console error; our ComfyUI reconnecting fix covers the common causes, and CUDA out of memory fixes help when new models need more VRAM.

My Take

Update ComfyUI the moment a new model you want needs it, and otherwise once or twice a month. Always do the dependency step, always update custom nodes afterwards, and keep a snapshot so a bad update costs you two minutes, not an evening.

On Desktop, Copy & Update is the best feature for this: try the new version on a copy and keep your working setup. If you are starting over, our how to install ComfyUI guide walks you through a clean install, and the model folders cheat sheet shows where everything goes.

FAQ

How do I update ComfyUI?

Desktop: Manage > Update > Update Now. Portable: run update\update_comfyui.bat. Manual: git pull then pip install -r requirements.txt in your venv.

How do I update ComfyUI Portable?

Close ComfyUI, open the update folder and double-click update_comfyui.bat (latest) or update_comfyui_stable.bat (stable). Then restart and press Ctrl+F5 in the browser.

Can I update ComfyUI from ComfyUI Manager?

Manager is best for updating custom nodes. For ComfyUI itself, use Desktop’s Update tab, the Portable scripts or Git, which also update the frontend packages correctly.

Will updating ComfyUI delete my models or workflows?

No. Updates do not touch models, output or your saved workflows. Back them up anyway before big updates.

What is the latest ComfyUI version?

Version 0.44.0 on GitHub as of 9 November 2026. Check Settings > About in ComfyUI to see yours.

How do I uninstall ComfyUI completely?

Desktop: uninstall the app, then delete the Comfy Desktop settings, installs and shared folders listed above. Portable and manual: delete the folder (and the venv). Move your models out first.

Should I use the stable or latest version?

Latest if you want new models on day one; Stable if you want fewer surprises. You can switch any time.

Why did my custom nodes break after updating?

The nodes were written for an older ComfyUI or need updated Python packages. Update them in Manager, or roll back with a snapshot until the author fixes them.

Sources

• ComfyUI docs: How to update ComfyUI
• ComfyUI docs: Comfy Desktop Manage panel (Update, Snapshots, PyTorch)
• ComfyUI docs: ComfyUI Portable for Windows
• ComfyUI docs: Comfy Desktop for Windows (uninstall) and macOS
• ComfyUI docs: ComfyUI-Manager installation
• Comfy-Org/ComfyUI on GitHub (comfyui_version.py)