How to Run ComfyUI Without a Graphics Card
If you want to create AI art or run complex image generation workflows with ComfyUI but don’t own an expensive graphics card, the good news is you can do it entirely in the cloud. Two main options stand out: the free, accessible Google Colab notebook, and the premium, higher-performance cloud PC solution from Mimic PC.
### The Free Way: Run ComfyUI on Google Colab
Google Colab is a popular, free cloud service that offers remote GPUs to run AI models via Jupyter notebooks directly in your browser. For ComfyUI users without a local GPU, there is an official and widely maintained Colab notebook that guides you step-by-step through setting up and running ComfyUI in the cloud.
Start here:
Access the Colab notebook maintained by camenduru on GitHub at this URL:
https://github.com/camenduru/comfyui-colab
This notebook installs necessary dependencies, downloads models, and launches ComfyUI with GPU acceleration, all in a free cloud environment. You control ComfyUI through a browser interface, with no local setup or GPU required.
Keep in mind the Google Drive connection limits:
- ComfyUI requires loading and saving models and outputs, usually done via your Google Drive.
- Google Drive has storage and bandwidth limits which may affect large or frequent file transfers.
- Google Colab sessions are temporary (often 12 hours max), so saving your work regularly to Drive is essential.
- Free tier users may face usage limits; Colab Pro or Pro+ upgrades provide longer runtimes and better GPU access for heavy users.
For many beginners and casual users, this is an excellent way to explore ComfyUI risk‑free and without hardware investment.
### The Better Option: Mimic PC Cloud GPU Desktop for ComfyUI
If you need a powerful, always-ready GPU for complex ComfyUI workflows, Mimic PC offers virtual cloud desktops equipped with high-end GPUs like the NVIDIA L40S. Think of it as renting a top-tier AI creator PC that you access remotely.
Why Mimic PC is superior:
- Dedicated GPU resources ensure fast image generation and smooth node previews.
- Preconfigured environments with ComfyUI and AI tools ready to use immediately.
- You pay only for what you use with flexible pricing plans.
- No local hardware or configuration required — just log in and start creating.
Getting started is easy:
- Visit mimicpc.com and create an account.
- Choose a GPU cloud PC plan that fits your workload.
- Access a full Windows desktop remotely, launch ComfyUI, and generate high-quality images seamlessly.
### Which Should You Use?
- Use Google Colab if you want a 100% free, accessible, and browser-based way to try ComfyUI, understanding it comes with some limitations around session duration and Drive storage.
- Choose Mimic PC if you want fast, reliable performance and GPU power on demand without owning expensive hardware, especially for regular or professional AI image generation.
Running ComfyUI without a local graphics card has never been more achievable. Whether you start free with Google Colab or invest in Mimic PC’s GPU cloud, your creative AI journey can begin today.