Based on low temperature superconducting (LTS) & high temperature superconducting (HTS) material classification, the superconducting generators can be divided into LTS generators and HTS generators. The research status and characteristics of superconducting generators are summarized; and several topological structures of superconducting generators are introduced. Compared and studied traditional rotating machine with superconducting rotating machine, pointing out the present superconducting generators bottleneck problems. Finally, the prospects of the development of superconducting generators are described.