CrAlN coatings are extensively applied in the protection of the cutting tools and molds due to their higher hardness and abrasive resistance.Firstly,the structure of CrAlN coatings and its effect on the mechanical properties and thermal decomposition mechanism of the coatings is introduced in the present review,and then pointing out that the Al content and its existence mode are important factors affecting the structure and properties of CrAlN crystals.Secondly,research status of CrAlN-based multicomponent coating and multilayer coating about the mechanical properties and high temperature oxidation resistance properties is reviewed.Focused on the doping modification of elements and the designing of multilayer coating structure,the advantages and disadvantages of various modification methods are compared and analyzed,then the doping of Si,Y,V and their influence to the performance of coating are summarized,and pointing out that constructing nanoscale multilayer coating can significantly improve the performance.Finally,the high-temperature oxidation behavior and high-temperature failure mechanism of CrAlN-based coatings are discussed,providing a reference for the performance optimization of CrAlN-based hard coatings.