Objective To compare the orthodontic effect, craniomaxillofacial hard tissue and aesthetic effect of ffxed appliances and invisible appliances in the treatment of Angle Class Ⅰ malocclusion. Methods The clinical data of 80 children diagnosed with Angle Class Ⅰ malocclusion from January to December 2024 in Hangzhou Borui Dental Clinic were retrospectively analyzed. All children were divided into the control group and the observation group according to different orthodontic methods, with 40 children in each group. The control group was treated with conventional straight wire ffxed appliances, and the observation group was treated with invisible appliances. The orthodontic effect, craniomaxillofacial hard tissue indicators, aesthetic effect and adverse reaction rate were compared between the two groups. Results After treatment, the crowding degree of dentition, overbite of anterior teeth, overjet of anterior teeth, SNA, UI-NA and LI-NB in the two groups were better than those before treatment (P<0.05), with no signiffcant inter-group differences (P>0.05). The scores of dental alignment, smile line coordination and facial profile harmony in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the control group was 20.00%, which was higher than 2.50% in the observation group (P<0.05). Conclusion Both ffxed appliances and invisible appliances can obtain satisfactory orthodontic effect for Angle Class Ⅰ malocclusion. However, invisible appliances present superior aesthetic effect and lower incidence of adverse reactions, which are more suitable for patients with high aesthetic demands and possess higher clinical application value.