Tropical montane cloud forest is a priority ecosystem for restoration due to the diversity and ecosystem services it provides and because it is under severe threat. Forest restoration can be achieved by active interventions and/or natural regeneration (passive restoration). However, there has been little comparison of the effectiveness of active versus passive restoration strategies and even fewer studies have monitored the long-term success of forest restoration practices. We assessed the effectiveness of active (mixed plantation with native species) and passive (areas adjacent and non-adjacent to mature cloud forest) restoration strategies implemented in pastures with 21 years of exclosure, and compared these to a mature cloud forest (reference system), in eastern Mexico. In the mature forest and in the areas represented by each restoration strategy, ∼15 plots (200 m2) were established in order to assess forest structure, tree diversity and soil properties as indicators of restoration success. Active restoration proved more effective than passive restoration at recovering forest structure (e.g. higher basal area, tree density and height). Adult tree diversity was similar across all restoration sites and the mature forest, while composition differed greatly between the mature forest and each of the restoration sites, from which the characteristic mature cloud forest tree species were mostly absent. The restoration sites presented very low tree seedling density (0.39 individuals/m2) relative to the mature forest (1.68 seedlings/m2), probably due to the higher cover of climbers, ferns, grasses and shrubs found in the understory of the restoration sites (∼78%), compared to that of the mature forest (8%). In all of the restoration sites, soil pH was higher, and carbon content in both the soil and litter was lower, than in the mature forest. This denotes a slow recovery of soil properties after use of the land as cattle pasture. In general, the passive restoration site non-adjacent to the forest presented the lowest recovery (lower canopy cover, composition similarity and seedling density), indicating the importance of proximity to seed sources. Our results highlight the need, in both actively and passively restored areas, for management practices such as enrichment planting, in order to assist tree seedling recruitment of key species and recovery of forest attributes. Active and passive restoration strategies could be implemented as complementary strategies for the restoration of cloud forest landscapes.