Rare-earth orthoferrite RFeO3 crystals are important multifunctional magnetic materials. Orthorhombic RFeO3 crystals display various interesting properties, like exotic magnetic behavior, excellent magneto-optical and opto-magnetic properties. The regulation of the magneto-optical and opto-magnetic properties were intensively studied in this system. In addition, orthorhombic DyFeO3 and GdFeO3 crystals exhibit magnetoelectric coupling characteristics at extremely low temperature, due to the exchange striction between R3+ and Fe3+. In recent years, novel hexagonal RFeO3 crystal has been reported to show multiferroic behavior at room temperature. The crystal growth of hexagonal RFeO3 is relatively difficult, due to its metastable state. In this paper, the crystal growth, magneto-optical, opto-magnetic and magneto-electric coupling characteristics of orthorhombic and hexagonal RFeO3 crystals are systematically reviewed, which provide valuable reference for the research of RFeO3 crystals in the future.