This node is impossible to install.

[MaxFusion256]

First, confirm

• I have read the instruction carefully
• I have searched the existing issues
• I have updated the extension to the latest version

What happened?

I have git_cloned and installed this thing at least 4 times. ComfyUI fails to load it on startup, and since this version cant be found in the internal ComfyUI Manager I cant install it that way either.

I have the latest Python, Python Embedded, and Pip, but the install.bat file swears it cant find my embedded python that I reinstalled just to be sure. Proceeding past this with the Python in my Windows PATH it reaches another error, pkg_resources and importlib_metadata cant be found and the installation is cancelled.

I have installed so many other nodes for ComfyUI but this one just aint about it.

Steps to reproduce the problem

1.) git_clone this node
2.) double click install.bat in \custom nodes
3.) fail
4.) complain on github

Sysinfo

OS: Windows 11 Pro
CPU: Intel i9 14900K
GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4090 24GB
RAM: 192 GB

Relevant console log

I couldn't find an embedded version of Python, but I did find Python 3.14.3 in your Windows PATH.
Would you like to proceed with the install using that version? (Y/N)
y
Installing...
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\ComfyUI\custom_nodes\ComfyUI-ReActor\install.py", line 7, in <module>
    from pkg_resources import get_distribution as distributions
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pkg_resources'

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\ComfyUI\custom_nodes\ComfyUI-ReActor\install.py", line 9, in <module>
    from importlib_metadata import distributions
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'importlib_metadata'
Done
Press any key to continue . . .

Additional information

No response

[Buumcode]

I have installed so many other nodes for ComfyUI but this one just aint about it.

Yes, this one is the HARDEST to install.

1. You can't install it on Python 3.14. (Almost).
   Most attempts install from ComfyUI Manager fail in Insightface installing. And you need to install Insightface manually.

2. But installing Insightface with "application" style is very tricky an most attempt fail. So, you fall to install PREBUILT wheel package.
   https://github.com/Gourieff/ComfyUI-ReActor#troubleshooting

3. But prebuilt wheel available only for Python 3.10-3.13. See point 1.

Here is INFO for you:

----------- MANUAL INSTALL INSTRUCTION ------------
--Manual install tutorial:--
--https://github.com/Gourieff/ComfyUI-ReActor/issues/75#issuecomment-2818060410 --- install ComfyUI and Reactor
--https://github.com/Gourieff/ComfyUI-ReActor/issues/115#issuecomment-2853754461 -- install custom_nodes
--https://github.com/Gourieff/ComfyUI-ReActor/discussions/148#discussioncomment-13626478 -- update Reactor manually

--Tutorial:--
--Python v3.13 -- https://github.com/Gourieff/ComfyUI-ReActor/issues/163
--Python v3.13 -- Reddit tutorial -- https://www.reddit.com/r/comfyui/comments/1n6uyle/guide_comfyuireactor_on_windows_portable_python/

--Preinstalled Reactor:--
--Python v3.13 -- Portable ComfyUI with preinstalled Reactor -- https://github.com/YanWenKun/ComfyUI-Windows-Portable
--Python v3.13 -- Portable ComfyUI with preinstalled Reactor (ComfyUI Art v7_313) -- https://huggingface.co/art0123/ComfyUI_art/tree/main
--Portable ComfyUI python v3.12.10 Pixaroma Community - https://github.com/Tavris1/ComfyUI-Easy-Install

--Troubleshooting:--
https://github.com/Gourieff/ComfyUI-ReActor#troubleshootin
Download prebuilt Insightface package according to Python's version.

Quick solution:

1. Downgrade your Python to version 3.13 - and all will be fine.
2. Use manual installation of Insightface - from prebuilt wheel.
3. Try to Install Reactor with ComfyUI Manager. If fail - install it manually with git clone or download ZIP and unpack them in custom_nodes. (Don't forget to download all models and place them in their folders).
4. If successful, but you want more - you can grab 'freedom' version of Reactor from Codeberg-org. Download ZIP and unpack them as -- ~\ComfyUI\custom_nodes\comfyui-reactor-node

Thats all! 🚀

[mindpaletteco]

For quick solutions:

1. No - I am on 3.12.7 and it does not work.
2. Tried a git pull - then I tried install.bat (per you instructions) and that fails saying deprecated warnings.

I'll check Insightface and if it works, great. Looks like comfymanager has been able to install it for about a month. I will try nightly first before I download the wheel

I get this when I try to install it from the Manager:
ValueError: numpy.dtype size changed, may indicate binary incompatibility. Expected 96 from C header, got 88 from PyObject

Cannot import C:<userpath>I\ComfyUI_Fresh\ComfyUI-Easy-Install\ComfyUI\custom_nodes\ComfyUI-ReActor module for custom nodes: numpy.dtype size changed, may indicate binary incompatibility. Expected 96 from C header, got 88 from PyObject

[Buumcode]

tried install.bat (per you instructions) and that fails saying deprecated warnings

If you say about getting error (or warnings) - you should provide exactly error/warning message, which do you get.

Looks like comfymanager has been able to install Insightface

No. ComfyUI Manager fail with it. Install Insightface manually, from prebuilt wheel.

[intervisionlord]

The main problem is with dependencies. Reactor, during pre-install, removes any numpy version above 1.x.x and forcibly installs the numpy version specified in its dependencies, naturally breaking everything that depends on the second numpy.

This issue has been around for over six months. For myself, I have completely abandoned Reactor and replaced it with a workflow using ControlNet and Inpaint, or Qwen Image Edit.

In general, this is a major ongoing issue for the entire ComfyUI community — rigid dependencies and code written carelessly, not following corporate standards, thrown together without proper knowledge of enterprise-grade programming practices.

A good standard for ComfyUI moderators would be to prohibit rigid dependencies on core modules in custom nodes, such as PyTorch, Transformers, ONNX Runtime, and NumPy. And for those who write nodes — to write their code in a way that it can work with the latest versions of these modules or ensure backward compatibility.

[Buumcode]

and replaced it with a workflow using ControlNet and Inpaint, or Qwen Image Edit

Nice try, if you are satisfied with the result. But in SIMILARITY of swapped face Reactor (or other FACE SWAP applications) did much better result, then Qwen or Flux Kontext or something else. And speed matter too (for img2video).

P.S. Don't know what the problem to use numpy==1.26.4
It's work. And all custom nodes work well.

[intervisionlord]

all custom nodes work well.

No, not all nodes work - it's not the best idea to be so self-assured in the absoluteness of your statement without knowing what sets of nodes another person has. It would be more accurate to say - in YOUR case everything works, but this is an exceptional case. You don't take into account transformer dependencies, you don't take into account venv and PyTorch dependencies, as well as CUDA module dependencies. It just works for you because, probably, apart from the simplest nodes and Reactor, you don't use anything else.

You don't see a problem with downgrading numpy - I see one for myself.

did much better result, then Qwen

That's a very, very subjective statement. I can agree with the first point - controlnet combined with inpainting does give less precision, but comparing Reactor with Qwen... let me put it this way - based on the results I'm getting with Qwen, I don't plan on going back to Reactor. I think that's quite telling.

And considering how the Reactor node is written and the workarounds they suggest for using it (from downgrading numpy to completely separate ComfyUI portable installations with Reactor pre-installed), it becomes clear that the node's codebase is written quite carelessly. Which is confirmed by this issue and the fact that this problem isn't isolated to just one person.

I understand that as someone contributing to Reactor's development, it might be unpleasant to hear this, but the fact remains - the code that's written is an example of how not to do things.

Although, considering the specifics of the community and what I've seen in nodes written for Comfy over the past few years - this is probably quite a typical practice: writing such careless code or even vibe-coding without knowing Python, without knowing how development should be done properly, what standards exist (from basic conventional commits, catching specific exceptions, and properly following linters, to knowing pep8 and understanding how best practices work).

This is how we'll keep ending up with this kind of situation - problems with nodes, and instead of fixes, we get attacks from those who make these nodes or are somehow involved in their development, along with absurd advice like - downgrade your numpy or install a separate version with Reactor pre-installed. 'We don't see a problem with this - so you're forbidden from seeing a problem with this. We've spoken.' Great. Instead of just writing the code properly.

P.S. Don't know what the problem to use numpy==1.26.4

The problem has been described both above and in this issue overall - here they're telling you in plain text - this causes conflicts, but you don't see the problem, or rather, you don't want to see it:

#189
#111
#187

[Buumcode]

Instead of just writing the code properly.

Can you make this? "Just writing code".

[intervisionlord]

Instead of just writing the code properly.

Can you make this? "Just writing code".

I do this occasionally in my free time

[rnm525166-dot]

Anyone still having this problem.

Setuptools removed pkg_resources on version 82.0.0 released Feb 8th 2026. Downgrade to 81.0.0 with pip -m install setuptools==81.0.0. it will uninstall the new version, install the old. Install.bat should execute successfully.

[MaxFrei91]

Kinda solved question for myself (python 3.12.9 cu130 torch 2.10 comfy_desktop 0.8.19).
Helped insightface wheel from here: https://github.com/Gourieff/ComfyUI-ReActor#troubleshooting
Plus, need to do this: pip install --force-reinstall opencv-python==4.8.1.78 numpy==1.26.3 albumentations==1.4.16 albucore==0.0.17

And this stuff may be a problem in future:

colour-science 0.4.7 requires numpy<3,>=2.0.0, but you have numpy 1.26.3 which is incompatible.
opencv-contrib-python 4.13.0.92 requires numpy>=2; python_version >= "3.9", but you have numpy 1.26.3 which is incompatible.
rembg 2.0.72 requires numpy<3.0.0,>=2.3.0, but you have numpy 1.26.3 which is incompatible.

[Buumcode]

And this stuff may be a problem in future:

Here is my pip list for Python 3.12. May be it helps - https://github.com/Gourieff/ComfyUI-ReActor/discussions/212

[MaxFusion256]

Anyone still having this problem.

Yeah, I switched to the portable version of ComfyUI and thought it would be fun to torture my self by attempting to install this God forsaken node and there are even more problems. Now The Comfy Manager always shows the Install Button even though Reactor is in the "custom_node" folder.

Following the instructions here and clicking "install.bat" brings EVEN MORE issues. Now apparently I have to figure out how to install "Cython" so Python can work how it needs to for this node. Been trying to make this work for the past 8 hours with avail.

My time would have been better spent going down the street and buying some bleach to drink.

At least the Automatic 1111 one works fine. I just really wanted to consolodate my workflows.