Augmented reality (AR) display is a significant development direction of new display technology and one of the hardware entrances of the "meta-universe". Glasses-free AR-3D display has a broad range of application needs in vehicles, education, medical and other fields; therefore, it has gained close attention from scholars and industry experts. This study reviews the development of glasses-free AR-3D display technology, primarily including AR-3D display technology based on geometric optical elements, holographic optical elements, and pixelated diffractive optical elements, among others, expounds the basic principles of various technologies, analyzes the challenges of existing technologies, and anticipates its subsequent advancement. Glasses-free AR-3D display will gradually change the method people acquire information.