How to Update ComfyUI: Portable, Manager, Git & Desktop

⚡ Quick Answer

Portable: run update_comfyui.bat in the update folder. Manager: only updates custom nodes, not ComfyUI itself. Git install: run git pull then pip install -r requirements.txt. Desktop: updates automatically, or check manually via the ☰ menu → Desktop Settings → Update tab → Check for Updates.

Why Keep ComfyUI Updated

ComfyUI ships two kinds of updates, and it helps to know the difference before you start. Core code is new nodes, new model support, and new features. Core dependencies are separate packages — the frontend interface, workflow templates, and node help docs, shipped as comfyui-frontend-package, comfyui-workflow-templates, and comfyui-embedded-docs.

This is why "I updated but the feature still isn't there" is the most common update complaint. Updating one without the other leaves you with new node code but an old interface, or a new interface with no new nodes to match. Every method below updates both — but the git method requires you to run a second command manually, which is the step people skip.

Nightly vs. stable: ComfyUI has two release tracks. Nightly (development) has the newest features but more risk of bugs. Stable (release) lags behind by weeks or months but is tested. Portable and git installs can run either track; Desktop always tracks stable.

Check Your Install Type First

Each method below only works for one install type. Before you do anything, figure out which one you're running:

If you see this	Your install type	Jump to
A folder named ComfyUI_windows_portable with a run_nvidia_gpu.bat file	Portable	Go →
You launched a standalone ComfyUI.exe or ComfyUI.app icon with auto-updates	Desktop	Go →
You ran "git clone" yourself and start it with "python main.py"	Git / Manual	Go →
You just want to update custom nodes, not ComfyUI itself	Any — use Manager	Go →

Tip: Not sure? Look inside your ComfyUI folder. A subfolder called python_embeded means Portable. A .git hidden folder means a git install.

Method 1: Updating ComfyUI Portable (Windows)

The Portable version bundles its own Python environment, so it doesn't need a virtual environment or terminal setup — just batch scripts. It currently only supports Windows, running on NVIDIA GPUs or CPU-only.

Update scripts live in the update folder inside your Portable install directory:

ComfyUI_windows_portable folder structure

ComfyUI_windows_portable
└─ update
   ├── update.py
   ├── update_comfyui.bat                          ← use this one
   ├── update_comfyui_stable.bat                   ← latest stable release only
   └── update_comfyui_and_python_dependencies.bat   ← heavy reset, see warning below

Open File Explorer and navigate to your ComfyUI_windows_portable folder.
Open the update subfolder.
Double-click update_comfyui.bat. A black command-line window opens and shows download progress. This updates both the ComfyUI core code and its core dependencies together — the officially recommended method.
When the window shows "Update finished" and closes (or prompts you to press a key), the update is done.
Go back one folder and double-click your usual launch file — run_nvidia_gpu.bat (or run_cpu.bat) — to start ComfyUI on the new version.

Screenshot of the ComfyUI_windows_portable update folder in File Explorer showing update_comfyui.bat, update_comfyui_stable.bat, and update_comfyui_and_python_dependencies.bat — The update folder inside a Portable install. update_comfyui.bat is the one to run for routine updates.

Want the latest stable release instead of nightly?

Double-click update_comfyui_stable.bat instead. This pulls the most recent tagged release rather than the newest (and less tested) development commits.

Warning: update_comfyui_and_python_dependencies.bat reinstalls PyTorch and every Python dependency from scratch. This can break custom nodes that need specific package versions. Only run it if update_comfyui.bat didn't bring the feature or fix you were expecting — and back up your ComfyUI_windows_portable folder first, since this is the one script that can leave your install in a broken state if something goes wrong mid-download.

Tip: If update_comfyui.bat finishes but a feature still doesn't appear, open a command line inside the Portable folder and run python_embeded\python.exe -m pip install -r ComfyUI\requirements.txt manually. This re-syncs dependencies without the full reset.

Method 2: ComfyUI Manager (Custom Nodes Only)

Warning: ComfyUI Manager updates your custom nodes — it does not update ComfyUI's core code or version. This is the single most common mix-up beginners make. If you're trying to update ComfyUI itself, use Method 1 (Portable), Method 3 (Git), or Method 4 (Desktop) instead.

Manager is now built directly into recent ComfyUI builds, with a newer UI that adds pre-install previews, batch installs, and conflict detection between custom nodes.

Open ComfyUI and click Menu → Help → Manage Extensions (or the plug icon in the toolbar, if visible).
In the Manager panel, click Fetch Updates. This checks every installed custom node against its latest version and doesn't change anything yet — it just gathers the update list.
Open Install Custom Nodes. Any node with an available update shows an Update button next to it. Click Update on each one, or use Update All if your Manager version shows that option.
Once updates finish, restart ComfyUI completely and refresh your browser tab for the changes to take effect.

Screenshot of the ComfyUI Manager panel showing the Fetch Updates button and a list of installed custom nodes with Update buttons next to outdated ones — Manager's Fetch Updates + per-node Update buttons — this updates custom nodes, not ComfyUI core.

Tip: Not seeing the new Manager UI? For Portable installs, you may need to launch with --enable-manager added to your launch arguments. Duplicate your run_*.bat file, add the flag, and use that copy going forward.

Method 3: Git / Manual Install (Windows, macOS, Linux)

If you installed ComfyUI yourself with git clone into a Python virtual environment or conda environment, this is your method. It's the only approach that works identically on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Open a terminal and activate your environment.

activate your environment

venv\Scripts\activate          # Windows
source venv/bin/activate       # macOS/Linux

Navigate into your ComfyUI folder and pull the latest code.

update core code

cd ComfyUI
git pull

Update dependencies — this step is easy to skip and causes most "update didn't work" complaints.

update dependencies — do not skip this

pip install -r requirements.txt

Restart ComfyUI.

restart

python main.py

Warning: Running only git pull without pip install -r requirements.txt is the single most common git-update mistake. You'll get new core code with an outdated frontend — missing new UI elements, missing workflow templates, or missing node documentation. Always run both.

Terminal screenshot showing git pull followed by pip install -r requirements.txt inside an activated ComfyUI Python virtual environment — The two-command git update — pull the code, then sync dependencies. Skipping the second command is the most common mistake.

Rolling back to an older version

If an update breaks something, you can pin to any previous commit:

check history and roll back

git log --oneline                # see commit history
git checkout <commit-hash>       # pin to a specific commit
git checkout master              # back to the latest version

Tip: After rolling back or switching branches, always re-run pip install -r requirements.txt — dependency versions can be tied to specific commits.

Method 4: ComfyUI Desktop App

Desktop is the hands-off option — it's a standalone app currently in Beta for Windows and macOS (Apple Silicon), with no Linux build available yet. Updates are automatic by default.

Open ComfyUI Desktop and click the hamburger menu icon (☰) in the top-left corner of the window. A dropdown menu opens.

Screenshot of ComfyUI Desktop with the hamburger menu icon in the top-left corner clicked, showing the dropdown menu open — Step 1: Click the menu icon (☰) in the top-left corner of the Desktop app.

In the dropdown, click Desktop Settings. The Settings window opens.

Screenshot of the ComfyUI Desktop dropdown menu with the Desktop Settings option highlighted — Step 2: Click Desktop Settings from the menu.

Inside Settings, click the Update tab on the left side of the window.
Click the Check for Updates button. If a new version is available, Desktop downloads it and prompts you to restart the app to finish installing it.

Screenshot of the ComfyUI Desktop Settings window on the Update tab, showing the Check for Updates button — Step 3: On the Update tab, click Check for Updates.

Warning: Desktop is always built on stable releases, so brand-new features often reach it later than the Portable or git builds. If you saw a feature in a video or tutorial and can't find it on Desktop, this is usually why — not a broken update. Switch to Portable or a manual install if you want to track nightly builds.

Tip: If Check for Updates seems stuck or keeps showing the same version, the most reliable fix is reinstalling the latest Desktop build directly from the ComfyUI Desktop GitHub releases page.

Which Method Should You Use?

Install type	Best for	Update speed	Platform
Portable	Beginners on Windows who want the latest features	~2 min, one script	Windows only
Desktop	Hands-off users who don't mind trailing a few weeks behind	Automatic	Windows, macOS (ARM)
Git	Anyone comfortable with a terminal, or non-Windows users	~1 min, two commands	Windows, macOS, Linux
Manager	Updating custom nodes — not ComfyUI itself	Varies by node count	All

Troubleshooting

"Update finished" but the new feature still isn't there

This almost always means the core code updated but the dependencies didn't. On git installs, re-run pip install -r requirements.txt. On Portable, run update_comfyui.bat again — it updates both together, so a single pass rarely misses this, but a second run resolves it if the first was interrupted. On Desktop, check whether the feature has actually reached the stable release track yet.

Portable update script does nothing or closes instantly

This is usually a GitHub connectivity issue — the script needs to reach GitHub to check for and download updates. Try again on a different network, or check whether your firewall or antivirus is blocking the command window. If you're on a restricted network, you may need a proxy for the git-based scripts to work.

"Update All" in Manager didn't bring the feature I wanted

This is expected — Manager's Update All only touches custom nodes. If you were expecting a core ComfyUI feature (like a new node type or UI change), use Method 1, 3, or 4 instead, matched to your install type.

pip install fails with a permissions or network error

On Windows, try running your terminal as Administrator. If the failure looks network-related, add a mirror to the install command, for example -i https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple, which can help in regions where the default PyPI index is slow or blocked.

ComfyUI won't start after updating

Roll back first, then investigate. On git or Portable installs, use git log --oneline to find the previous working commit and git checkout <commit-hash> to return to it. Check the terminal output for the specific error — a missing package usually means a dependency update step was skipped.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Manager's Update All button updates your installed custom nodes, not ComfyUI's core code. To update ComfyUI itself on Portable, run update_comfyui.bat. On a git install, run git pull. Desktop updates itself automatically.

Two common reasons. First, ComfyUI Desktop is built on stable releases, so new features reach it later than the nightly/portable builds. Second, you may have updated the core code but not the dependencies — run pip install -r requirements.txt after any git pull to pick up frontend and template updates.

It works, but it reinstalls every Python dependency including PyTorch, which can break custom nodes pinned to older package versions. Try update_comfyui.bat first. Only use the dependencies script if the lighter update doesn't bring the feature or fix you need, and back up your install first.

Yes, on git or Portable installs. Run git log --oneline to see recent commits, then git checkout <commit-hash> to roll back. Run git checkout master afterward to return to the latest version. Desktop users can reinstall an older build from the ComfyUI Desktop GitHub releases page.

Only if the workflow uses a node type or feature your current version doesn't have yet. Most workflow JSON files will simply show a red "missing node" error if this happens, which is a good signal to update.

This is usually a GitHub connectivity issue. If you're behind a restrictive network or firewall, try again on a different connection, or set up a proxy. If pip installs are failing specifically, try adding a mirror such as -i https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple to the install command.

What to Do Next

Update ComfyUI, then check for missing nodes on your workflows.

After updating, reopen any workflow you use regularly. If you see a red "missing node" warning, that node was likely renamed or replaced in the update — search for it by name in ComfyUI Manager.

Fix Common ComfyUI Errors →ComfyUI Learning Roadmap →

Published: 2026-07-07 · Last updated: 2026-07-07 · Covers ComfyUI Portable, Manager, Git, and Desktop installs