Composite Reinforced Mortar (CRM) and Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) are two modern strengthening techniques for existing masonry, based on the coupling of fiber-based elements (i.e. strands or open grids) and inorganic matrices, mounted near the masonry surface. They typically differ for the thickness of the coating (20-40 mm in the former, 8-15 mm in the latter) and the type of embedded reinforcement (pre-coated meshes with wide grid pitch, or dry textiles with a closer yarns spacing, respectively). To prove their effectiveness in the seismic protection of historical masonry vaulted ceilings, experimental cyclic tests were performed on full-scale barrel vault samples subjected to a uniformly distributed transversal load. The results are analysed and discussed in the paper: it emerged a good effectiveness of both the strengthening solutions, with significant benefits in both resistance and displacement capacities. Moreover, a key aspect for the reinforcement effectiveness is found in the connection of the composite systems with the abutments. Numerical non-linear static analyses allow to deeper analyse the resisting mechanisms and investigate on the influence of geometrical and mechanical characteristics on the strengthening effectiveness