Purpose To evaluate the fracture resistance and fracture mode of high-translucency monolithic zirconia (HTZ) crowns and porcelain-veneered zirconia (PVZ) crowns. Material and methods A master die was scanned to design and fabricate the HTZ group (n = 10) and PVZ group (n = 10). Both groups were artificially aged before loaded to fracture. The means of fracture loads of the two groups were compared using an independent t-test at a significance level of 0.05. The mode of fracture was determined using a digital magnifier. Results The mean fracture strength for the HTZ group (4,425 ± 177 newtons (N)) was significantly higher than in the PVZ group (1,798 ± 30.9 N) (p-value < 0.001). All crowns in the HTZ group presented core fracture mode. However, crowns in the PVZ group showed both a core and adhesive fracture mode of 60% and 40%, respectively. Conclusion The fracture strength of HTZ crowns is superior to PVZ crowns. The fracture strength of both types surpassed the maximum bite force in the posterior region, which may be deemed clinically adequate.