In this work we investigate the properties of compact stars in the Randall-Sundrum type II brane-world model. We analyze the properties of quark and hadronic stars using the MIT bag model and a relativistic mean-field model for the equation of state. We show that the causality limit in brane-world models coincides with the Schwarzschild limit. Hence, there is a region in the mass-radius plane that is forbidden in General Relativity for causal equations of state but can be accessed within brane-world models. We also show that stable compact stars of arbitrarily large mass are possible because they can be supported against collapse by the non-local bulk effects on the brane. This features provide a potential test for the existence of extra dimensions through the observation of neutron star's masses and radii. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim).