Choose Fooocus for prompt-first SDXL images, Automatic1111 for a tabbed Stable Diffusion workflow with extensions, and ComfyUI for configurable graphs and broader native model support. For Fooocus vs Automatic1111, the key tradeoff is a curated SDXL workflow versus more controls and extension choices.
Quick navigation: TL;DR · Project status · Fooocus · ComfyUI · Automatic1111 · Side-by-side · Pick by use case · Hardware · FAQ · Sources
TL;DR
- ComfyUI: latest release v0.36.0, September 15, 2026. Native support includes Flux.1, SD 3.5, video, and 3D models. Pick this if those architectures are central to your workflow.
- Fooocus is in limited long-term support with bug fixes only, according to its maintainer notice. Latest release v2.5.5, August 12, 2024. It remains focused on SDXL.
- Automatic1111: latest published release v1.10.1, February 9, 2025. Its documented model support includes SDXL; the release gap alone does not establish a formal maintenance-only policy.
For the broadest documented native model coverage among these three, choose ComfyUI. ComfyUI README.
Fooocus vs Automatic1111: head-to-head
| Fooocus | Automatic1111 |
|---|---|
| Maintenance: maintainer-declared limited LTS, with bug fixes only and no current plans for newer architectures. | Maintenance: long gap between published releases; no equivalent LTS declaration is established by the cited README and release page. |
| Latest release: v2.5.5, August 12, 2024. | Latest release: v1.10.1, February 9, 2025. |
| Models: built around SDXL. | Models: documented Stable Diffusion 1.x, 2.x, and SDXL workflows. |
| Extensions: built-in image tools and configuration; its README directs broader experimentation toward forks. | Extensions: documented extension installation and community scripts, including the separate ControlNet extension. |
| VRAM: README lists 4 GB for RTX 20/30/40 series and 8 GB for specified older NVIDIA and AMD configurations, plus 8 GB system RAM. | VRAM: README advertises 4 GB video-card support; this is not a guarantee for every model, resolution, or extension combination. |
Sources: Fooocus README, Fooocus release, Automatic1111 README, Automatic1111 release, model features.
Verdict: Choose Fooocus if you want to concentrate on SDXL prompts and its built-in image tools. Choose Automatic1111 if you need its controls or an extension such as ControlNet. Keep a working installation while testing either option with your own models. For native Flux or SD 3.5 workflows, ComfyUI explicitly documents that support.
Project status (verified)
Release checks as of September 17, 2026:
- Fooocus: v2.5.5 (August 12, 2024) remains the latest release. Its README explicitly limits development to bug fixes and says newer architectures are not currently planned. Release.
- ComfyUI: v0.36.0 (September 15, 2026) is the latest release. Its README describes a release schedule that can change around model releases and larger changes. Release.
- Automatic1111: v1.10.1 (February 9, 2025) is the latest published release. The published release history does not establish a formal LTS policy. Release.
- Forge: the original repository's latest default-branch commit is dated June 26, 2025. That is a commit date, not a declaration of maintenance mode. Its README documents Flux support. Commit.
- SD.Next: the repository has a default-branch commit dated September 17, 2026. Its README documents image and video generation across multiple model families. Commit.
Fooocus
A prompt-first frontend built on SDXL with built-in prompt expansion and image tools. Official README.
What it does well in 2026:
- Prompt-first workflow, with defaults intended to reduce manual parameter tuning
- Built-in inpainting with a custom algorithm — works without ControlNet plumbing
- Built-in image prompts and image variations
- Apple Silicon installation is documented
- Download-and-extract Windows package
- Presets and configurable defaults
Scope and customization:
- SDXL architecture focus — the LTS notice says newer architectures are not currently planned
- Built-in image controls are documented in its own interface; do not assume Automatic1111 extensions are interchangeable with those tools.
- Scope: the documented product is an SDXL image generator
- Customization: the README documents configuration and points to forks for experimentation
Best for: Designers, marketers, and hobbyists who want to start with an SDXL prompt workflow.
For the deep dive on installing and prompting Fooocus: Fooocus 2026 Complete Guide.
ComfyUI
A node-graph editor for diffusion pipelines. Each model load, each conditioner, each sampler is a node you wire together. Choose it when you want to assemble and reuse the individual steps of a generation pipeline.
What it does well in 2026:
- Broad native image, video, and 3D model support, including Flux.1 and SD 3.5
- Workflow reuse: save and load JSON workflows, or recover workflows from supported generated media
- Local API for integrating workflows into applications
- ComfyUI-Manager for installing and managing custom nodes. Manager documentation.
- Memory management, model offloading, and support for quantized models
- Apple Silicon: official Desktop option. Desktop requirements.
Tradeoff: A graph workflow asks you to understand how its steps connect. Start with a template before building a complex pipeline. ComfyUI features.
Best for: Production AI artists, agencies, researchers, anyone running a content pipeline. Consider it when building a service around reusable generation workflows.
For a closer workflow comparison: Fooocus vs ComfyUI in 2026.
Automatic1111
A Stable Diffusion web interface with tabs, generation controls, and community extensions. Its latest published release is v1.10.1; see the release-status section above.
What it does well in 2026:
- Community extensions and custom scripts, including ControlNet
- Tabbed UI (txt2img, img2img, extras, train)
- LoRA, Textual Inversion, and Hypernetworks support
-
--apiflag for HTTP API access. Official API guide. - Apple Silicon installation instructions. Official guide.
- 4 GB video-card support advertised in its README
Limits to check before choosing it:
- The cited model documentation establishes SD 1.x, SD 2.x, and SDXL support; it does not establish native Flux.1 or SD 3.5 support.
- Extensions have their own installation and compatibility requirements.
- The published release gap matters if you need features absent from the current release.
Best for: Users with an existing A1111 workflow or a specific extension they want to use. README, model features.
Side-by-side
| Aspect | Fooocus v2.5.5 | ComfyUI v0.36.0 | A1111 v1.10.1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project status | Limited LTS / bug fixes | Recent release | Published release gap |
| Latest published release | Aug 12, 2024 | Sep 15, 2026 | Feb 9, 2025 |
| Native Flux.1 | Outside documented scope | Yes | Not established by cited docs |
| Native SD 3.5 | Outside documented scope | Yes | Not established by cited docs |
| Native video model coverage | Outside SDXL scope | Documented | Not established by cited docs |
| Native 3D model coverage | Outside SDXL scope | Documented | Not established by cited docs |
| Image conditioning | Built-in image prompts | ControlNet and adapters | ControlNet extension |
| LoRA loading | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inpainting | Yes (custom algo) | Yes | Yes |
| IP-Adapter / Image prompt | Built-in | Yes | Via extension |
| Customization | Built-in tools, config, forks | Custom nodes + Manager | Extensions + custom scripts |
| Workflow / parameter records | See project tools | JSON workflows | PNG generation parameters |
| API access | README describes Gradio sharing access | Local API |
--api flag |
| VRAM guidance | 4 GB for listed RTX cards; 8 GB for listed older/AMD cards | Size for the chosen workflow | README advertises 4 GB support |
| Apple Silicon | Installation documented | Desktop supported | Installation documented |
| Best 2026 use case | SDXL prompt-first | Production / new models | Existing A1111 workflows |
Pick by use case
You are new to Stable Diffusion → Fooocus. Get comfortable with prompts and SDXL before touching node graphs. Just understand: Fooocus stays on SDXL — for Flux.1 or SD 3.5 you'll need a second tool.
You are building a product or running content at scale → consider ComfyUI. Its documented JSON workflows and local API make it a candidate for pipeline integration.
You want native video or 3D workflows → ComfyUI. Its README explicitly includes those model categories.
You are happy with A1111 today and ship daily on it → keep it for now, but install ComfyUI alongside for new-model exploration. The A1111 release cadence is a real concern.
You want LoRAs and ControlNet without writing graphs → consider A1111. Its ControlNet extension documents multiple ControlNet inputs for one generation.
If you are weighing Stable Diffusion vs the closed-source players: AI Image Generators 2026 comparison.
Hardware
Use the projects' documented guidance as a starting point, then check the requirements of your chosen model and workflow:
- Fooocus: its hardware table lists 4 GB VRAM for RTX 20/30/40 cards, 8 GB for specified older NVIDIA and AMD configurations, and 8 GB system RAM. AMD support is described as beta. Hardware table.
- ComfyUI: the README documents memory management, offloading, and quantized models. It does not give one VRAM figure that guarantees every workflow. README.
-
A1111: the README advertises 4 GB video-card support. Its changelog documents
--medvram-sdxl; do not interpret the general 4 GB statement as a promise for every SDXL configuration. Changelog.
For a practical check, run the model, resolution, and extensions you actually intend to use before committing to a tool. Keep general installation minimums separate from your workload's memory requirements.
FAQ
Is Fooocus better than Automatic1111?
Choose Fooocus for a curated SDXL prompt workflow. Choose Automatic1111 for its generation controls and extension ecosystem. Fooocus's limited-LTS notice and Automatic1111's release gap are separate maintenance considerations; neither establishes an image-quality winner.
Is Fooocus dead?
The maintainer describes Fooocus as limited LTS with bug fixes only. The notice says there are no current plans for newer model architectures; it does not promise a future release schedule. Maintainer notice.
Which is best for inpainting?
Fooocus documents a built-in inpainting workflow and its own inpaint models. Automatic1111 documents inpainting controls. Try the same editing task in each before choosing. Fooocus, A1111 features.
Which is best for ControlNet?
Consider Automatic1111 if you want its extension interface and multiple ControlNet inputs. Consider ComfyUI for graph-based conditioning. Fooocus documents its own built-in image-prompt controls. ControlNet extension.
Choosing your setup
Choose ComfyUI for graph workflows and its documented range of model architectures. Start with Fooocus for an SDXL prompt workflow. Keep A1111 when its controls or extensions fit your work, and assess its release history against the features you need.
Sources
- Fooocus README and maintenance notice
- Fooocus v2.5.5 release
- Fooocus latest-release metadata
- ComfyUI README
- ComfyUI v0.36.0 release
- ComfyUI latest-release metadata
- Comfy Desktop overview
- ComfyUI-Manager installation
- Automatic1111 README
- Automatic1111 v1.10.1 release
- Automatic1111 latest-release metadata
- Automatic1111 features
- Automatic1111 changelog
- Automatic1111 API documentation
- Automatic1111 Apple Silicon installation
- ControlNet extension README
- Forge README
- Forge latest default-branch commit
- SD.Next README
- SD.Next latest default-branch commit
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