Background Although EBDs are essential for minimally invasive surgery, well-established prospective randomized studies comparing EBDs are scarce. This study aimed to compare the intraoperative inflammatory response and short-term surgical outcomes among different energy-based devices (EBDs) in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG). Methods Patients with clinical stage I gastric cancer scheduled for LDG at two different medical centers were prospectively randomized into three groups: ultrasonic shears (US), advanced bipolar (BP) and ultrasonic-bipolar hybrid (HB). The C-reactive protein (CRP) level, operation time, intraoperative blood loss (IBL), laboratory tests, cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10), hospital stay, and complication rate were analyzed. A novel semiquantitative measurement method using indocyanine green (ICG) and a near-infrared camera measured the amount of lymphatic leakage. Results The primary endpoint, the CRP level, was significantly lower in the BP ( n  = 60) group than in the US ( n  = 57) or HB ( n  = 57) group 9.03 ± 5.55 vs. 11.12 ± 5.02 vs. 12.67 ± 6.14, p  = 0.001, on postoperative day (POD) 2 and 7.48 vs. 9.62 vs. 9.48, p  = 0.026, on POD 4. IBL was significantly lower in BP than in US or HB (26.3 ± 25.3 vs. 43.7 ± 42.0 vs. 34.9 ± 37.0, p  = 0.032). Jackson–Pratt drainage triglycerides were significantly lower in BP than in US (53.6 ± 33.7 vs. 84.2 ± 59.0, p  = 0.11; HB: 71.3 ± 51.4). ICG fluorescence intensity, operation time, laboratory results, cytokines, hospital stay, and complication rate were not significantly different among the 3 groups. Conclusion BP showed a lower postoperative CRP level and less IBL than US and HB, suggesting less collateral thermal damage and better sealing function. Surgeons may consider this when selecting EBDs for laparoscopic surgery.