Electro-hydrostatic actuator (EHA) is a highly integrated and self-contained direct drive actuator system that aims at replacing the traditional hydraulic system. EHA was widely used in industries due to the increased efficiency, reduced leakages and lower overall weight. This paper reviewed the development of EHA from three aspects. The existing types of EHA were classified according to possible configurations, and their development processes were shown correspondingly. And publications related to design methods were reviewed. There were some issues like the parameter uncertainties and nonlinearities for EHA control system, the accuracy of the mathematical model and the effectiveness of the control strategy were analyzed. The review concluded by summarising the scope for further research trends in the area of system configurations, design methods and control technologies. The EHAs based on linear actuator is becoming a research hotspot because of its good dynamic performance.