Donor safety and graft results of pure laparoscopic living donor right hepatectomy (LLDRH) have previously been compared with those of open living donor right hepatectomy (OLDRH). However, the clinical outcomes of recipients at 1‐year follow‐up have never been accurately compared. We aimed to compare 1‐year outcomes of recipients of living donor right liver transplantation (LRLT) using pure LLDRH and OLDRH. From May 2013 to May 2017, 197 consecutive recipients underwent LRLT. Donor hepatectomies were performed either by OLDRH (n = 127) or pure LLDRH (n = 70). After propensity score matching, 53 recipients were included in each group for analysis. The clinical outcomes at 1‐year follow‐up were compared between the 2 groups. The primary outcome was recipient death or graft failure during the 1‐year follow‐up period. In the propensity‐matched analysis, the incidence of death or graft failure during the 1‐year follow‐up period was not different between the 2 groups (3.8% versus 5.7%; odds ratio OR, 1.45; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.24‐8.95; P = 0.69). However, the composite of Clavien‐Dindo 3b‐5 complications was more frequent in the pure LLDRH group (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.15‐5.96; P = 0.02). In conclusion, although pure LLDRH affords a comparable incidence of fatal complications in recipients, operative complications may increase at the beginning of the program. The safety of the recipients should be confirmed to accept pure LLDRH as a feasible option.