Compared with traditional piezoelectric monocrystalline SAW devices, thin film SAW devices have the advantages of low cost, easy miniaturization and easy integration. The research progress of several thin film SAW devices was reviewed in this paper. Firstly, several common thin film preparation methods were summarized. Then thin film SAW devices were divided into high frequency devices and high temperature devices according to different applications. According to the two types, five typical thin film SAW devices in recent years were reviewed, and their fabrication process, basic structure and high frequency/high temperature characteristics were introduced. Finally, these five kinds of thin film SAW devices were compared, and the prospect of the future development of thin film SAW devices was proposed, which had certain guiding significance for the practical application and promotion of thin film SAW devices.