In recent years, modern industry has put forward increasingly stringent requirements on the properties of materials, and surface modification has gradually become an effective means to improve the surface properties of materials. CrAlN coating has attracted extensive attention in the field of protective coatings because of its good mechanical properties and excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance. This paper reviews the latest research progress of CrAlN based coatings in recent ten years, including the structure and properties, preparation optimization, alloying, the design and advantages of CrAlN based nano multilayer structure coatings and nano composite structure coatings, Finally, the potential development direction of CrAlN coating is discussed, in order to promote the development and application of CrAlN coatings in the field of protective coatings.