Abstract Background: The longevity of full-coverage restorations depends largely on marginal adaptation and fracture resistance. Advances in digital dentistry have popularized CAD–CAM zirconia crowns, but conventional porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns remain widely used. Aim: To compare the marginal fit and fracture resistance of CAD–CAM zirconia crowns and conventional PFM crowns. Materials and Methods: Forty standardized maxillary first molar typodont teeth were prepared for full-coverage crowns and divided into two groups (n = 20): Group I: CAD–CAM zirconia crowns; Group II: Conventional PFM crowns. Marginal gaps were measured at four reference points using a stereomicroscope. Fracture resistance was tested using a universal testing machine. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests (α = 0.05). Results: The mean marginal gap for zirconia crowns was significantly lower than PFM crowns (p < 0.05). Zirconia crowns also demonstrated significantly higher fracture resistance. Conclusion: CAD–CAM zirconia crowns exhibited superior marginal adaptation and fracture resistance compared to conventional PFM crowns, suggesting improved clinical longevity. Keywords: CAD–CAM, zirconia crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal, marginal fit, fracture resistance.