In recent years, hole-spin qubits based on semiconductor quantum dots have advanced at a rapid pace. We first review the main potential advantages of these hole-spin qubits with respect to their electron-spin counterparts, and give a general theoretical framework describing them. The basic features of spin-orbit coupling and hyperfine interaction in the valence band are discussed, together with consequences on coherence and spin manipulation. In the second part of the article we provide a survey of experimental realizations, which spans a relatively broad spectrum of devices based on GaAs, Si, or Si/Ge heterostructures. We conclude with a brief outlook.