With an increase in depression rates and medication and psychotherapy being the primary treatment interventions for decreasing depressive symptoms, exercise treatment is looked at as a relatively new and beneficial treatment strategy for depression. Previous meta-analytical reviews mainly examined the effects of physical activity on depressive symptoms, neglecting comparisons between different techniques regarding their effectiveness. This paper examines and compares the efficacy of two different exercise modalities: endurance training and resistance training on depression rates and symptoms. From January to June 2021, PubMed, Elsevier Science Direct, and American Physiological association, CRKN, DOAJ, and Ovid were searched for observational studies in which the effect of endurance training and resistance training on depression were investigated. The random-effect model was used to derive effect size (ES). The search found 220 articles, of which 24 articles were identified as eligible papers and were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, the pooled standard mean difference and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) for stage of study on depression, for endurance training was − 0.163 (− 0.183 to − 0.143), Resistance − 0.139 (− 0.159 to − 0.119), endurance & resistance − 0.014 (− 0.421 to 0.393). Both techniques (endurance and resistance) can help improve the symptoms of depression, as both exercise modalities reported an improvement in symptoms in those who suffer from depression. However, no significant difference was found between the two exercise forms in terms of effectiveness in decreasing depression rates and symptoms