Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early colorectal cancer and its precancerous lesions by using novel lifting clip‑assisted traction. Methods From March to July 2021, 42 patients with colorectal lesions who received ESD at the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital were included in the retrospective study. Nineteen patients were enrolled as the observation group using the novel lifting clip, and 23 others in the control group without the help of an auxiliary method. The operation time, the hospital stay, hospital expenses and the incidence of complications of the two groups were compared. Results All 42 patients successfully received ESD. The operation time of the observation group was significantly shorter than that of the control group [31.00 (21.00, 58.00) min VS 60.00 (30.00, 75.00) min, Z=-2.04, P=0.04]. The postoperative hospital stay of the observation group was significantly shorter than that of the control group [2.00 (1.00, 2.00) d VS 2.00 (2.00, 3.00) d, Z=-1.99, P=0.04]. The hospital cost was lower than that of the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (19 331.42 ± 3 481.20 yuan VS 19 802.40 ± 2 548.50 yuan, t=-0.49, P=0.63). No intraoperative perforation occurred in either group. There was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss between the observation group and the control group [0.00 (0.00, 5.00) mL VS 3.00 (0.00, 7.00) mL, Z=-1.42, P=0.16]. There was 1 case of postoperative abdominal pain in the observation group, 2 cases of postoperative abdominal pain and 1 case of fever in the control group. There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of postoperative complications between the observation group and the control group [5.3% (1/19) VS 13.0% (3/23), χ2=0.73, P=0.39]. Conclusion The novel lifting clip‑assisted colorectal ESD is safe and effective, which can significantly shorten the ESD operation time and postoperative hospital stay without increasing the economic burden of patients.