This review paper summarizes the recent progress of anode catalysts for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The electrocatalytic activities of the noble and noble-free catalysts in different electrolyte media are compared and discussed. Noble-free catalysts exhibit high activity in alkaline medium, whereas Pt-based catalysts are the most active MOR catalysts in acidic medium. The types of catalyst support materials for DMFC anodes are also discussed and further divided into carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous materials. The ion and electron transport through the support materials and their effects on the overall performance are elaborated. Lastly, this paper highlights the major challenges in achieving the optimum DMFC performance from the aspect of tailoring the properties of MOR electrocatalysts to pave its way for commercialisation. (C) 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.