A novel kind of lightweight material which called starch-based aerogel have a three-dimensional porous network with high porosity， large specific surface area， and low density. The preparation of starch aerogels is simple and clean. It is prepared by drying the hydrogels after starch gelatinization and regeneration. This paper focuses on the main factors affecting aerogel properties， such as starch source， starch concentration， gelatinization temperature， regeneration conditions and different drying methods. In addition， the modification of starch aerogel such as cross-linking treatment， compound modification， surface coating， and the applications of modified starch-based aerogels was summarized. At present， the research on the application of starch aerogel mainly focuses on food nutrition and biomedicine. Furthermore， starch aerogel has certain application potential in thermal insulation materials， environmental pollution treatment and other fields. This paper is instructive for constructing of high-quality starch aerogels and expanding their practical applications.