Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in Pr 2 CuSi 3 and Gd 2 CuSi 3 compounds were investigated systematically. Both Pr 2 CuSi 3 and Gd 2 CuSi 3 compounds experienced two phase transitions in a relatively narrow temperature range: first a paramagnet (PM)–ferromagnet (FM) second-order phase transition at 12 and 26K and then a FM–spin glass (SG) transition at 6K and 7.5K, respectively. The magnetic entropy change (ΔS M ) was calculated based on Maxwell relation using the collected magnetization data. The maximum of ΔS M for Pr 2 CuSi 3 and Gd 2 CuSi 3 compounds was 7.6 and 5Jkg −1 K −1 , respectively, at the applied filed change of 0–5T. The shape of the temperature dependence of ΔS M (ΔS M –T) curve was obviously different from that of the conventional magnetic materials undergoing only one typical phase transition. In the left half part of ΔS M –T curve, ΔS M is not very sensitive to the applied field and they tend to intersect with the decrease of temperature. Both typical conventional and inverse MCE behavior were observed in Gd 2 CuSi 3 , which would be originated from the two transition features at the low temperatures.