The main functions of substrates in electronic packaging include supporting, cooling, protection of semiconductor chips, as well as insulation and electronic interconnection with external chips. With the electronic packaging developing towards high speed, multi-functionalization, high performance, good stability and small dimension, substrates play more and more important role in the field of new generation electronics packaging. Scientists and engineers have higher requirement to substrate materials, which advances their brilliant progress. In this review, the characteristic, recent progress and future development of three kinds of substrates were summerized, including ceramic, composite and organic substrates.