Diode pumped alkali lasers (DPALs) have developed rapidly in recent years, with their advantages of high energy, high efficiency, compactness, and single-aperture operation becoming increasingly prominent. In this paper, the technical characteristics of DPALs are introduced, the development history is reviewed, and the critical factors for power scaling are discussed. In addition, the development of the recently emerged DPAL-like gas lasers is briefly introduced.