Objective To compare the effectiveness of one-stage bilateral total hip arthroplasty by direct anterior approach (DAA) and by posterolateral approach, and to investigate the application value of DAA in one-stage bilateral total hip arthroplasty. Methods The clinical data of 65 patients who underwent one-stage bilateral total hip arthroplasty by DAA or posterolateral approach between June 2010 and November 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. DAA was used in 34 cases (group A) and posterolateral approach was used in 31 cases (group B). There was no significant difference in the gender, age, body mass index, preoperative hemoglobin level, etiology, disease duration, preoperative Harris score, and preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score between 2 groups (P>0.05) with comparability. The incision length, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, total blood transfusion volume, hospitalization time, early postoperative complications, Harris score, and VAS score were recorded and compared between 2 groups. The simple Likert scale method was applied to evaluate the patient satisfaction, and the imaging evaluation was used. Results The incision length, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, total blood transfusion volume, and hospitalization time of group A were significantly less than those of group B (P<0.05). The patients were followed up 15-48 months (mean, 25.3 months) in group A and 12-51 months (mean, 27.6 months) in group B. The overall incidence of complications related to surgery in group A (10.29%) was significantly lower than that of group B (19.35%) (χ2=8.769, P=0.023). The acetabular anteversion and abduction angle were in the normal range of 2 groups except 1 hip (1.47%) of group A had a higher acetabular anteversion than normal value. Unstable fixed prosthesis happened in 1 hip of groups A and B respectively, and the remaining femoral calcar had no obvious bone resorption and fixed stably. The Harris score and VAS score at each time point after operation of 2 groups were significantly improved when compared with preoperative scores (P<0.05), and the differences between the time points after operation were also significant (P<0.05). The Harris score at 1 and 3 months after operation and the VAS score at 3 days after operation of group A were significantly better than those of group B (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found at last follow-up between 2 groups (P>0.05). According to the simple Likert scale method to analyze patient satisfaction, comprehensive satisfaction of group A (97.1%, 33/34) was significantly higher than that of group B (67.7%, 21/31) (χ2=10.343, P=0.001). Conclusion The application of DAA in one-stage bilateral total hip arthroplasty can significantly relieve the pain, accelerate the recovery of hip joint function, and improve the patient satisfaction. But in clinical application, more attentions should be paid to strictly grasp the indications and prevent the early complications. The long-term effectiveness needs to be further observed.