Tracker comparison · ByteTrack vs BoT-SORT

ByteTrack vs BoT-SORT

A head-to-head of ByteTrack and BoT-SORT for multi-object tracking behind YOLO: how fast each runs across 10 NVIDIA GPUs and how steadily it holds object IDs, measured on the same clip and the same detector.

The verdict: On an NVIDIA H100, ByteTrack is the quicker of the two at 106 FPS versus 10 for BoT-SORT, roughly 11× its throughput, and it stays out front on all 10 GPU tiers. BoT-SORT is the steadier tracker: 16 ID fragmentations against 17 for ByteTrack (6% fewer), across 14 unique IDs to 14 on the same clip. For the ByteTrack-vs-BoT-SORT decision that's the trade-off in a nutshell: ByteTrack for real-time apps, edge devices, most general-purpose tracking, BoT-SORT for moving-camera footage (drones, dashcams, handheld).

Faster overall
ByteTrack

Higher FPS on 10 of the 10 GPU tiers tested.

Steadier IDs
BoT-SORT

Only 16 ID fragmentations, versus 17 for ByteTrack.

ID-stability: what a fragmentation actually looks like

How well a tracker holds a single, consistent ID on each object is a property of the algorithm, not the GPU, so these numbers barely move across hardware; we report them once (measured on the NVIDIA H100). This clip has no MOT ground truth, so instead of MOTA/IDF1 we report the raw stability signals: how many distinct IDs the tracker created, how many times a track was broken (fragmentations), and the average track length. Fewer IDs and fewer fragmentations mean steadier identities.

TrackerApproachUnique IDsFragmentationsAvg track length
BoT-SORTMotion + camera comp.141661.7
ByteTrackMotion only141766.9

Speed by GPU

ByteTrack and BoT-SORT, ranked fastest-first. Pick any GPU to see which one leads on that hardware. End-to-end detection + tracking throughput (frames per second, higher is better) for ByteTrack and BoT-SORT across all 10 GPU tiers. GPUs are ordered flagship-first.

Show GPUs
Frames per second for 2 trackers across 10 GPU tiers. ByteTrack ranges 57 to 147 FPS; BoT-SORT ranges 6 to 15 FPS.04080120160FPSB200H200H100RTX PRO 6000A100 80GBA100 40GBL40SA10L4T4
  • ByteTrack
  • BoT-SORT

ByteTrack vs BoT-SORT: the four questions that decide it

Every figure below is computed from the same run as the tables above: throughput, per-frame latency, cost and track continuity for this pair specifically, rather than a general ranking.

Real-time headroom

Across the 10 tiers, ByteTrack clears 30 FPS on 10 and 60 FPS on 9; BoT-SORT clears 30 FPS on 0 and 60 FPS on 0. BoT-SORT does not reach 30 FPS on any tier in this run, which puts it in the offline-analysis bracket rather than the live-video one. Per frame on an NVIDIA H100 that is 9.4 ms for ByteTrack and 101.7 ms for BoT-SORT, detection included.

Does the ranking hold across GPUs?

Yes. ByteTrack is ahead of BoT-SORT on all 10 tiers, from the B200 down to the T4, so the ordering you see on an NVIDIA H100 is the ordering you will get on whatever you deploy to. That consistency is itself useful: it means this choice can be made once rather than revisited per hardware refresh.

How long an identity survives

Average track length was 66.9 frames for ByteTrack and 61.7 for BoT-SORT on the 200-frame clip, so ByteTrack held each object for longer before losing or re-numbering it. Read alongside the fragmentation counts, that is what an ID switch feels like downstream: a counting line double-counts the same person, or a dwell-time average collapses because one visit was recorded as three. Neither number is MOTA, because this clip has no ground truth, but both come from the same run and point the same way.

Cost to run

At NVIDIA H100 rates, ByteTrack costs $0.0103 per 1,000 frames against $0.1115 for BoT-SORT, about 11× cheaper. Over a single 30 FPS camera running for an hour that is roughly $1.12 versus $12.05. That is small per camera, and a real multiplier across a wall of them. Cost here is pure occupancy: a slower tracker holds the GPU for longer, so throughput and spend are the same fact in two units.

Choosing between them

Choose ByteTrack if…

Real-time apps, edge devices, most general-purpose tracking.

Strengths

  • Consistently among the fastest
  • No Re-ID model to load or tune
  • Built into Ultralytics as a one-liner

Trade-offs

  • Motion-only: can swap IDs through long occlusions
  • Fewer ID recoveries than appearance-based trackers

Motion only, 2022. Enable it with tracker="bytetrack.yaml".

Choose BoT-SORT if…

Moving-camera footage (drones, dashcams, handheld).

Strengths

  • Handles camera motion well
  • Stable IDs with Re-ID enabled
  • Ultralytics' default tracker

Trade-offs

  • Slowest here with Re-ID + GMC on
  • Heavier to run in real time

Motion + camera comp., 2022. Enable it with tracker="botsort.yaml".

How these numbers were measured

ByteTrack and BoT-SORT ran on the identical 200-frame clip with the same yolo26n.pt detector on each of the 10 GPU tiers, so the only variable is the tracker. There is no MOT ground truth on this clip, so no MOTA or IDF1 is claimed; the stability figures are raw counts. Full methodology and the benchmark script live on the hub, alongside all six trackers.

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Frequently asked questions

Is ByteTrack faster than BoT-SORT?
On an NVIDIA H100 with yolo26n.pt, ByteTrack ran at 106 FPS and BoT-SORT at 10 FPS end to end, detection included. Across all 10 GPU tiers ByteTrack was ahead on 10 and BoT-SORT on 0. The ordering is the same on every tier tested.
Which holds object IDs better, ByteTrack or BoT-SORT?
BoT-SORT. On the same clip it recorded 16 ID fragmentations against 17, across 14 unique IDs for ByteTrack and 14 for BoT-SORT, with average track lengths of 66.9 and 61.7 frames. ID stability is a property of the algorithm rather than the GPU, so this holds on any hardware.
Is ByteTrack or BoT-SORT cheaper to run?
ByteTrack, at $0.0103 per 1,000 frames on an NVIDIA H100 versus $0.1115. The difference is occupancy: the slower tracker holds the GPU longer per frame, so the cost gap tracks the speed gap.
Can ByteTrack and BoT-SORT run in real time?
ByteTrack sustained 30 FPS or better on 10 of the 10 GPU tiers and BoT-SORT on 0. Per frame on an NVIDIA H100 that is 9.4 ms and 101.7 ms respectively. Anything under 33 ms per frame keeps up with a 30 FPS camera.
Should I choose ByteTrack or BoT-SORT?
Choose ByteTrack for real-time apps, edge devices, most general-purpose tracking. Choose BoT-SORT for moving-camera footage (drones, dashcams, handheld). The fast, lightweight default that just works. Camera-motion compensation for moving cameras.
Does a more expensive GPU make tracking more accurate?
No. A faster GPU only makes tracking run faster; it does not change how accurately the tracker follows objects. Accuracy and ID-stability depend on the tracking algorithm and your detector, not the hardware. That is why this page reports speed per GPU, but ID-stability only once.
How was this YOLO tracker benchmark run?
Every tracker ran on the same 200-frame clip with the same yolo26n.pt detector, on each of the 10 GPU tiers. FPS is the end-to-end detection-plus-tracking rate. All six trackers are built into Ultralytics, so results are reproducible with a single script.