Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are attractive for portable applications such as phone chargers, LEDs, sensors, etc. This study will present an overview of an active system of DMFC. An active system of DMFC is suitable for portable applications due to its high power output. A complete active system of DMFC consists of internal and external components. However, most of the research work only focused on the fundamental issues of internal components such as membranes and catalysts. Very few works have presented on a complete active system of DMFC. This study presents a review of both external and internal components used in active systems, including the fuel and product management utilized in active DMFC. The performance of a DMFC tested in an active system is also included. Finally, this paper summarizes the challenges and future advances in the design of active system DMFC. (C) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.