Abstract  [Objectives]  To compare the efficacy of commonly used cockroach bait products in the U.S. and China and thereby help consumers and pest management professionals select the most effective baits for cockroach management. [Methods]  We evaluated the efficacy of 7 common cockroach gel baits from China, and 5 cockroach gel baits, or bait stations, from the U.S., against the German cockroach (Blattella germanica (L.)) and the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana (L.)), under laboratory conditions. In addition, we conducted topical assays to evaluate the level of resistance of two field strains of the German cockroach to fipronil. [Results]  Five of the 7 Chinese gel baits achieved ≥ 91% corrected mortality of German cockroaches (both resistant and non-resistant strains) after 7 d. Hanshi and Kebeite gel baits acted much slower than Green Leaf, Hongyujie, and Youshi. The latter three products achieved ≥ 89% mortality of American cockroaches after 7 d. One month old Kebeite baits produced lower mortality than fresh baits among German cockroaches. All five baits from the U.S. caused ≥ 82% mortality in German cockroaches after 7 d. The resistance ratio of the two field strains of German cockroaches to fipronil were 4.3 and 115.1, respectively. [Conclusion]  There are significant differences in the efficacy of different baits against the German cockroach and the American cockroach. Although one strain of German cockroach showed high resistance to fipronil, two gel baits containing 0.05% fipronil still achieved 100% mortality in this strain in the laboratory.