Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) has become a routine surgical procedure for treating patients with large kidney stones; the fundamental step in this process is the creation of the nephrostomy tract. In the present study, a meta-analysis was performed to compare the effectiveness and safety of different tract dilation techniques for PCNL. Databases were searched from inception to 1 April 2019 to identify relevant randomized controlled trials. The X-ray exposure time, hemoglobin decrease, stone-free rate, transfusion rate, hospital stay and the complication rate associated with the various techniques were analyzed. A total of 11 studies comprising 1,415 cases were enrolled in the meta-analysis. Significant differences in X-ray exposure time [weighted mean difference (WMD), 30.67; 95% confidence interval (CI), 20.08-41.26; P<0.001] and hemoglobin decrease (WMD, 0.19; 95%CI, 0.15-0.23; P<0.001) were identified between metal telescopic dilation (MTD) and one-shot dilation (OSD). A significantly lower hemoglobin decrease was observed in the balloon dilation (BD) vs. fascial Amplatz dilation (AD) group [WMD, -0.65; 95%CI, -(0.77-0.52); P<0.001]. The transfusion rate was similar between these techniques. The MTD had an obviously higher successful dilation rate compared with that of the OSD, but no significant differences in stone-free rate and transfusion rate were obtained. The present study determined that, compared with other methods, OSD was safer in almost every adult patient, including those that had previously undergone renal surgery; though it is recommended that this should be performed by experienced surgeons. BD was reported to be effective and safer in patients without a history of renal surgery compared to other methods. The present study proposed AD and MTD as safer methods of dilation for patients who have previously undergone kidney surgery.