Objective To investigate the curative effect of drug-coated balloon (DCB) in treatment of small coronary artery stenosis complicated by mild calcification. Methods The patients (n=80) with small coronary artery stenosis complicated by mild calcification confirmed by coronary angiography (CAG) and received DCB treatment or drug-eluting stent (DES) treatment were chosen from Department of Cardiovascular Medicine in the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from Jan. 2019 to Jan. 2022. All patients were divided, according to therapies, into observation group (treated with DCB, n=37) and control group (treated with DES, n=43). The immediate and 12-month curative effects, incidence rates of adverse cardiovascular events and bleeding events were compared between 2 groups. Results The comparison in immediate and 12-month curative effects, target minimal lumen diameter (MLD), late lumen loss (LLL), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and adverse cardiovascular events showed no statistical difference between 2 groups (P>0.05). The incidence rates of bleeding events was significantly in observation group than those in control group (2.7% vs. 17.5%, P<0.05). Conclusion DCB and DES have similar short-term and long-term curative effects in the treatment of small coronary artery stenosis complicated by mild calcification. Moreover, as DCB treatment with lower incidence rates of bleeding events, it can be an alternative scheme for stent implantation with widely application prospects.