Due to the growing challenges concerning water resources, notably in Egypt, many farmers have turned to modern irrigation systems to optimize water use, especially in clay soils. This study aims to evaluate various irrigation systems applied to clay soil in Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. To achieve this goal, three different irrigation systems were tested: flood irrigation, surface drip irrigation, and subsurface drip irrigation, all used for cultivating maize, a summer crop. The results showed that the water consumption in flood irrigation was significantly higher compared to the other systems, namely surface and subsurface drip irrigation. Among the drip irrigation methods, subsurface drip irrigation resulted in higher plant height than both surface drip and flood irrigation. However, maize grain output was maximized with surface drip irrigation in comparison to both flood and subsurface drip irrigation. Furthermore, surface drip irrigation significantly enhanced the biological yield of maize in comparison to both flood and subsurface drip irrigation systems. Surface drip irrigation saved 594.6 m³ per feddan, a 21.43% reduction compared to flood irrigation. Subsurface drip irrigation saved 614.42 m³ per feddan, resulting in a 22.14% reduction in water use against flood irrigation. These findings highlight the significant water-saving potential of drip irrigation systems, as well as their positive impact on maize growth and yield in clay soils, demonstrating their effectiveness in addressing water scarcity challenges in Egypt.