Live Face Swap

Guide · Hardware

Does real-time face swap need a GPU?

Only if the model runs on your computer. Local tools such as Deep-Live-Cam process every frame on your CPU or graphics card, so a strong GPU makes them smoother. Cloud tools such as Live Face Swap run the model on remote servers, so a laptop or an Apple Silicon Mac without a gaming GPU is enough.

Try it in your browser

In short

  • Local face swap: free or one-time software, but speed depends on your GPU.
  • Cloud face swap: no GPU or model downloads, paid per use, needs a stable connection.
  • Deep-Live-Cam supports CPU, NVIDIA CUDA and Apple CoreML, among others.
  • Either way, use only faces you have permission to use and disclose AI effects.

Local: your hardware does the work

Open-source projects such as Deep-Live-Cam download face models and run them on your machine. The project lists several execution providers: CPU, NVIDIA CUDA, Apple CoreML, DirectML and OpenVINO. CPU mode works but is slow; a recent NVIDIA card gives the smoothest live results. Setup involves Python, ffmpeg and model files, and sending the result to a meeting usually goes through OBS.

Cloud: the model runs remotely

Live Face Swap sends your camera video to Lucy 2.5, a real-time model from Decart running on fal, and shows the edited video as it comes back. Your computer only captures and displays video, so integrated graphics are fine. The trade-offs are an internet requirement and paying for the seconds you use.

Which one fits you

  • You have an NVIDIA RTX card and like tinkering: a local tool can be free to run.
  • You use a Mac, a thin laptop or want it working in minutes: cloud is simpler.
  • You need it in Zoom, Teams or OBS: pick a tool with its own virtual camera.
  • You must keep video on your machine: choose local processing.

Safe and legal use

Using your own face, an original character or a consenting person is very different from impersonating someone. In the United States the TAKE IT DOWN Act (2025) targets non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated ones, and platforms such as Twitch ban impersonation and explicit deepfakes. Disclose realistic face swaps so viewers are not misled.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a GPU?

No. Live Face Swap runs the AI model in the cloud, so you only need a camera, a stable internet connection and either a current browser or the desktop app on Windows 11 or an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 13 or later.

Is cloud face swap private?

Your camera stream is sent to the AI model provider over an encrypted connection while a session runs. Live Face Swap does not record or save the live output, and other users cannot see your feed.

How much does a live session cost?

Every live mode uses 3.6 credits per second, and only while the AI output is running. Connecting, choosing a photo and previewing your camera are free. Credits come in one-time packs that never expire.

Whose face can I use?

Your own face, or a portrait of someone who has given you permission. Do not use a live face swap to impersonate a real person, mislead the people you talk to, or create sexual content, and tell your audience when they are watching an AI-altered video.

Sources

Updated 2026-10-19. Live Face Swap is an independent product. Use only your own face or portraits you have permission to use, never to impersonate or deceive anyone, and tell the people watching when they are seeing an AI-altered video.