OBJECTIVE This experimental in vitro study compared marginal adaptation of indirect composite, glass-ceramic inlays and direct composite. METHODS Seventy-five recently extracted human molars were randomly divided into three groups (n=25) and mesio-occluso-distal cavities with the same dimensions were prepared in the teeth. Indirect composite and glass-ceramic inlays were fabricated following manufacturer's instructions and the marginal gap was measured by a stereomicroscope at magnification 40× before cementation. After cementation of inlays and restoring the third group by direct composite, all the specimens were thermocycled and the marginal gaps were measured exactly as previously described. Repeated measure ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey test were used for pairwise comparison of occlusal, proximal, and gingival marginal gaps in each group. One-way ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey test were used for comparison of mean marginal gap in the three groups and for comparison of marginal gap before and after cementation in inlays, paired T-test was used. RESULTS The marginal gap of direct composite (19.96 μm) was significantly lower than that of indirect composite inlay (48.47 μm), which in itself was significantly lower than that of glass-ceramic inlay (60.96 μm). In all the restorations, marginal gap in the gingival margin was significantly higher than occlusal and proximal margins. The marginal gap of inlays did not change after cementation and thermocycling. CONCLUSIONS This study indicated that the marginal gaps of the evaluated restorations are less than 100 μm, which is clinically acceptable.