Gravimeters, which can obtain the information related to gravity efficiently, have potentially found wide applications in various fields. This kind of instrument plays an irreplaceable supporting role in many industries referring gravimetry. It has been proved by history that the improvement and innovation of the measurement principle employed in gravimeters have significantly increased the performance of such instruments. Firstly, this article introduces the basic concept and classification of gravimeters. Secondly, according to the maturity of measurement principle and the wideness of application field of relevant gravimeters, four typical kinds of gravimeters widely used in the world are selected in this review, including the freefalling body gravimeter, atomic interference gravimeter, spring type gravimeter and superconducting gravimeter. This review presents the measurement principle and development status of each type of gravimeter respectively, and emphasizingly summarizes the specifications related to measurement accuracy. Finally, the present status and future development of the related research on gravimeters both in China and abroad are discussed.