The ComfyUI Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about ComfyUI in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
ComfyUI
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source node editor for image and video AI workflows, plus a cloud
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI image and video generators, read from ComfyUI’s own pages.
Made by Comfy Org · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from ComfyUI’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on ComfyUI’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 82 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade
ComfyUI is an open-source, node-based editor for building image, video and audio generation workflows step by step, from the model and prompt to each sampler setting. The desktop app runs free and offline on your own computer, while Comfy Cloud runs the same editor in a browser on rented GPUs for a monthly credit allowance. Comfy Agent can build workflows from a description, and the Comfy API turns a workflow into a production endpoint.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about ComfyUI, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You wire up nodes and models yourself, and local use needs a GPU and some setup.
- 1
Best for node-based image and video workflows
It has a steep learning curve, and the desktop app wants a capable GPU or an Apple Silicon Mac.
- 2
Paid plans start at $16 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $16 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) for Comfy Cloud.
- 3
There is a free plan
ComfyUI Desktop is free and open source to run on your own hardware with no feature limits. Comfy Cloud gives new users 5 free GPU runs and free Agent credits.
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 5
Node-based workflows
Chain models, prompts, samplers and other steps into a visual graph that can be saved, shared and rerun, with control over each setting.
- 6
Open and partner models
Run open models such as Wan 2.2, Flux, LTX and Qwen Image Edit locally, or call partner models like Nano Banana Pro, Seedance 2.0 and GPT Image 2 with credits.
- 7
Community extensions
Install from more than 5,000 community extensions adding 60,000+ nodes, or write your own custom nodes.
- 8
A 3.0 GPA, above 82 of 89
That is against the other AI image and video generators we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace ComfyUI you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
ComfyUI at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $16 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) for Comfy Cloud
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- Comfy Org, since 2023
- Category
- AI Image & Video Generators
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for node-based image and video workflows
ComfyUI is an open-source node editor for building image and video AI workflows, free to run on your own computer, with a paid cloud version from $16 a month. It has a steep learning curve, and the desktop app wants a capable GPU or an Apple Silicon Mac.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The desktop program is free and open source with no feature limits, which counts as free and substantial. Comfy Cloud starts at $16 a month billed yearly. |
| Free plan and trial | A | ComfyUI Desktop is free to run on your own hardware, offline after setup, with no cap. Cloud gives new users 5 free GPU runs. |
| Features | B | Node workflows, open and partner models, 5,000+ community extensions, a cloud, an agent and an API. Nothing in the core job is missing, though Team's shared workflows are still coming soon. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record. You wire up nodes and models yourself, and local use needs a GPU and some setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Windows, Mac and Linux desktop apps, a browser cloud, an API and links to Photoshop, Blender, Nuke, Houdini, Civitai and Hugging Face. No phone app is listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who ComfyUI is for
- Fits if you want full control of every step of an image or video pipeline
- Works for people with a capable GPU who would rather not pay a subscription
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to type a prompt and get a picture, as the node graph takes learning
- Tight if your computer is weak: Windows wants an NVIDIA or AMD GPU and the Mac app is Apple Silicon only
- Watch out: partner models like Nano Banana are paid in Comfy credits, even when you run locally
- Watch out: cloud runs stop at 30 minutes (1 hour on Pro), and your own models and LoRAs need Creator
Good to know
Good for
- Artists and studios who want step-by-step control over open models
- Running image and video models offline on your own GPU
- Developers turning a tested workflow into an API
Worth knowing
- The Windows desktop app recommends an NVIDIA or AMD GPU, and the Mac app supports Apple Silicon only.
- Cloud runs stop at 30 minutes (1 hour on Pro), and importing your own models or LoRAs needs Creator or above.
- Partner models such as Nano Banana are paid in Comfy credits, even when ComfyUI runs on your own machine.
- On the Team plan, shared workflows, shared assets and projects are listed as coming soon.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$16
A month to start. There is a free plan too
ComfyUI has a free plan. Paid plans start at $16 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) for Comfy Cloud.
The desktop program is free and open source with no feature limits, which counts as free and substantial.
ComfyUI Desktop
$0
The full open-source engine on your own computer and GPU, offline after setup; partner models such as Nano Banana use paid credits.
Standard
$16
per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
Comfy Cloud with 50,400 credits a year (about 4,560 five-second videos), 30-minute runs, 4 Agent sessions, 5 API builds and 2 deployments.
Creator
$28
per month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
88,800 credits a year, importing your own models and LoRAs, and 6 Agent sessions per workspace.
Pro
$80
per month, billed annually ($100 billed monthly)
253,200 credits a year, runs up to 1 hour, 8 Agent sessions, 10 API builds and 5 deployments of up to 10 workers.
Team
$630
per month, billed annually ($700 billed monthly)
1,772,400 credits a year in a shared pool, up to 50 members with roles, 16 Agent sessions and 20 API deployments.
Enterprise
Custom
More members, higher Agent limits and custom features, arranged with sales.
The free plan
ComfyUI Desktop is free and open source to run on your own hardware with no feature limits. Comfy Cloud gives new users 5 free GPU runs and free Agent credits.
Read from comfy.org on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Up to 20% off Comfy Cloud billed yearly
Yearly billing takes Standard from $20 to $16 a month, Creator from $35 to $28 and Pro from $100 to $80; Team saves 10%.
Stated on comfy.org
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows and Linux
Open-source node editor for image and video AI workflows, plus a cloud. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, works offline, public API, AI agents, image generation, video generation.
Nothing in the core job is missing, though Team's shared workflows are still coming soon.
- Node-based workflows
- Chain models, prompts, samplers and other steps into a visual graph that can be saved, shared and rerun, with control over each setting.
- Open and partner models
- Run open models such as Wan 2.2, Flux, LTX and Qwen Image Edit locally, or call partner models like Nano Banana Pro, Seedance 2.0 and GPT Image 2 with credits.
- Community extensions
- Install from more than 5,000 community extensions adding 60,000+ nodes, or write your own custom nodes.
- Comfy Cloud
- Run ComfyUI in a browser on 96GB RTX PRO 6000 GPUs with 900+ preinstalled models, paying only for active GPU time and queuing up to 100 workflows.
- Comfy Agent
- Describe the result you want and the agent plans, builds and runs the workflow on the canvas, charging its language-model use to your credits.
- Comfy API
- Deploy a workflow as a production API, with GPU time billed by the second, for example $3.49 an hour on an RTX PRO 6000.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- Photoshop
- Blender
- Nuke
- Houdini
- Civitai
- Hugging Face
ComfyUI is made by Comfy Org, and has been around since 2023.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
82/89
Other AI image and video generators it is graded above
ComfyUI's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 82 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 86 of 89) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $16 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 55 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 29 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 90 AI image and video generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. ComfyUI’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 80 of 89
- AFree plan and trialAbove 86 of 89
- BFeaturesAbove 42 of 89
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 89
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 39 of 89
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 67 AI image and video generators. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. ComfyUI is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace ComfyUI you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 82 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade. It costs $192 a year. ComfyUI is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- A video model, which you can rent by the second but not make.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Photoshop, Blender and Nuke among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. ComfyUI’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Draw Things, DiffusionBee, fal and Replicate
The 4 tools ComfyUI is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Draw Things
Free plan · from $8.99/mo
Image generation that runs on your own iPhone, iPad or Mac.
- Only ComfyUI lists a web app.
- Only ComfyUI lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Draw Things lists an iOS app.
- 2.8GPA
DiffusionBee
Free
Free Stable Diffusion app that runs locally on a Mac.
- Only ComfyUI lists a web app.
- Only ComfyUI lists Windows and Linux apps.
- ComfyUI is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.2GPA
fal
Paid
Developer platform and API for generative image and video models.
- ComfyUI has a free plan. fal does not.
- Only ComfyUI lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- ComfyUI is open source, according to its own site.
- 1.8GPA
Replicate
Paid
Cloud API for running open-source and hosted AI models.
- ComfyUI has a free plan. Replicate does not.
- Only ComfyUI lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- ComfyUI is open source, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is ComfyUI free?
ComfyUI has a free plan. ComfyUI Desktop is free and open source to run on your own hardware with no feature limits.
How much does ComfyUI cost?
ComfyUI lists 6 plans. ComfyUI Desktop: $0.
What platforms does ComfyUI work on?
ComfyUI is available on Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does ComfyUI offer any discounts?
ComfyUI publicly lists the following: Up to 20% off Comfy Cloud billed yearly.
Does ComfyUI have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. ComfyUI is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does ComfyUI have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. ComfyUI is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is ComfyUI open source?
Yes. ComfyUI is open source, according to its own site.
Does ComfyUI work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Does ComfyUI have an API?
Yes. ComfyUI offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does ComfyUI integrate with?
ComfyUI's listing names Photoshop, Blender, Nuke, Houdini, Civitai and Hugging Face.
Who makes ComfyUI?
ComfyUI is made by Comfy Org. It dates from 2023.
What are the alternatives to ComfyUI?
The closest alternatives to ComfyUI in our directory are Draw Things, DiffusionBee, fal and Replicate.
How does ComfyUI compare with other AI image and video generators?
ComfyUI's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 82 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 6.
Is ComfyUI good value for money?
ToolGPA grades ComfyUI A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $16 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 55 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of ComfyUI?
To replace ComfyUI you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from ComfyUI’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from ComfyUI's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Comfy Org. Prices change, so check comfy.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- ComfyUI, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/comfyui
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "ComfyUI: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/comfyui
Know someone choosing between AI image and video generators?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/comfyui/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI image and video generators after ComfyUI, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Image & Video Generators Insider's GuideEvery one of the 90 AI image and video generators we grade, compared
- Pixlr Insider's GuideBrowser photo editors with AI image, video and audio tools3.2 GPA
- Adobe Firefly Insider's GuideAdobe's image, video and audio generator, with partner models3.0 GPA
- Draw Things Insider's GuideImage generation that runs on your own iPhone, iPad or Mac3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what ComfyUI’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. ComfyUI is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Comfy Org. Prices and plans change: check comfy.org before you buy.