Objective To systematically review the effectiveness and safety of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) versus conventional multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CMLC). Methods We electronically searched PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library (Issue 1, 2013), CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on SILC versus CMLC from inception to January 1st, 2013. According to the Cochrane methods, the reviewers screened literature, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality. Then, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.2 software. Results Finally, 17 RCTs involving 1 233 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that, compared with CMLC, SILC was lower in 24 h postoperative pain score (visual analogue scale, VAS) (SMD= –0.40, 95%CI –0.76 to –0.04, P=0.03), higher in cosmetic results score (SMD=1.56, 95%CI 0.70 to 2.43, P=0.000 4), and longer in operative time (MD=13.11, 95%CI 7.06 to 19.16, Plt;0.000 1). However, no significant difference was found in 6 h postoperative pain scores (VAS), postoperative complications, port-site hernia and hospital stay between the two groups. Conclusion SILC is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of uncomplicated benign gallbladder diseases, and it has certain advantages compared with CMLC, which is recommended in clinical application.