Recent satellite data analysis has provided improved data sets relevant to the surface energy budget in the Arctic Ocean. In this paper, surface radiation properties in the Arctic Ocean obtained from the Surface Radiation Budget (SRB3.0) and the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP-FD) during 1984–2007 are analyzed and compared. Our analysis suggests that these datasets show encouraging agreement in basin-wide averaged seasonal cycle and spatial distribution of surface albedo; net surface shortwave and all-wave radiative fluxes; and shortwave, longwave, and all-wave cloud radiative forcings. However, a systematic large discrepancy is detected for the net surface longwave radiative flux between the two data sets at a magnitude of ~ 23 W m–2, which is primarily attributed to significant differences in surface temperature, particularly from April to June. Moreover, the largest difference in surface shortwave and all-wave cloud radiative forcings between the two data sets is apparent in early June at a magnitude of 30 W m–2.