Run Stable Diffusion Locally: ComfyUI vs Fooocus vs A1111

The Three Frontrunners

If you want to run Stable Diffusion on your own machine, you have three main options: ComfyUI, Fooocus, and Automatic1111 (A1111). Each takes a different approach to the same underlying models. All three are available in the Thumper-Run catalog.

ComfyUI: The Power User's Choice

ComfyUI presents a node-based graph editor where you wire together individual operations—load checkpoint, encode prompt, sample, decode, save. This gives you full control over every step of the pipeline.

Strengths:

• Build any pipeline: inpainting, ControlNet, IP-Adapter, LoRA stacking, regional prompting
• Visual debugging—you can inspect the output of any node
• Workflow sharing via JSON files
• Active custom node ecosystem (1,500+ nodes)

Weaknesses:

• Steep learning curve for beginners
• Node graph can become unwieldy for complex workflows
• No built-in prompt history or gallery

Read our ComfyUI getting started guide for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Fooocus: The Simplest Option

Fooocus is designed to feel like Midjourney but running locally. You type a prompt, pick a style, and click generate. There are no nodes, no graphs, and minimal settings.

Strengths:

• Fastest path to your first image—install, type, generate
• Built-in style presets (cinematic, anime, photographic, etc.)
• Inpainting and outpainting with a simple brush tool
• Automatic quality enhancements (prompt expansion, negative prompt defaults)

Weaknesses:

• Limited customization—you cannot build novel pipelines
• Fewer model format options (primarily SDXL checkpoints)
• Smaller plugin ecosystem compared to ComfyUI

A1111: The Original

Automatic1111's Web UI was the first widely-used Stable Diffusion interface. It offers a tab-based UI with text-to-image, image-to-image, inpainting, and extras tabs.

Strengths:

• Mature and well-documented
• Huge extension library
• Built-in prompt history, X/Y/Z plot, and image gallery
• Familiar to most SD users

Weaknesses:

• Slower development pace than ComfyUI
• Performance overhead compared to ComfyUI (Python-heavy pipeline)
• Extension conflicts are common

Performance Comparison

On an RTX 4060 Ti (8 GB VRAM) generating a 1024×1024 SDXL image at 30 steps:

• ComfyUI: ~18 seconds
• Fooocus: ~22 seconds (includes prompt enhancement overhead)
• A1111: ~25 seconds

ComfyUI is fastest because it compiles an optimized execution graph and reuses cached intermediate results.

VRAM Requirements

All three run the same underlying models, so VRAM requirements are similar:

• SD 1.5: 4 GB minimum, 6 GB comfortable
• SDXL: 6 GB minimum, 8 GB comfortable
• FLUX: 10 GB minimum, 12 GB comfortable

See our VRAM guide for a complete breakdown by model and resolution.

Which Should You Pick?

• New to AI art? Start with Fooocus. You will be generating images in under five minutes.
• Want full control? Use ComfyUI. The learning curve pays off with unlimited flexibility.
• Already using A1111? Keep using it if your workflows depend on specific extensions. Otherwise, consider migrating to ComfyUI for better performance.

All three install in one click through Thumper-Run. The GPU detection system configures each one automatically for your hardware.

Ready to try it? Download Thumper-Run free →