The iliopsoas plane block (IPB) is a novel analgesic technique that has been demonstrated to be effective for hip fracture and hip replacement surgery. This study aimed to assess the effect of IPB on postoperative quality of recovery following elective hip arthroplasty compared with femoral nerve block (FNB). One hundred patients underwent elective hip arthroplasty were randomly assigned to the IPB or FNB groups. The primary outcome was the quality of recovery 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes included the quality of recovery at 48 and 72 h after surgery, pain scores, quadriceps strength, first time out of bed, total opioid consumption, patient satisfaction, and complications. Compared with participants in the FNB group, Quality of recovery-15 score at 24-h was significantly higher in the IPB group (127 [123-130] vs. 117.5 [113.7-120.2]), with a median difference of 9 (95% CI, 7-11; P < 0.001). Moreover, the QoR-15 score of the IPB group was higher than that of the FNB group at 48 and 72 h after surgery (P < 0.001). However, there were no clinically significant differences between the two groups. Quadriceps strength was superior in the IPB group than that in the FNB group (P < 0.001). The first time out of bed was shorter in the IPB group than that in the FNB group (P < 0.001). This study found that IPB enhanced the quality of recovery in the first 24 h following hip arthroplasty compared with FNB.Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2200055289.