Metal ceramic composite coating can significantly improve hardness, density, corrosion resistance, wear resistance and high temperature oxidation resistance of the coating, and has a wide range of application. Some factors affecting properties of composite coatings were reviewed, effects of reinforced-phase particle size, type of surfactant, deposition mode and type of second-phase particles on properties of electrodeposited composite coating were emphatically introduced. The ceramic particle size affected properties of the composite coating, fine grains had effect of refined crystalline strengthening on Ni-based composite coating. Micron-grade ceramic particles could greatly improve mechanical properties of the Ni-based composite coating; corrosion resistance of the composite coating could be significantly improved using ultrafine ceramic particles in reinforced phase. Microhardness of the composite coating with nano particles was superior to that of composite coating with microparticles. Nonionic surfactant could improve compound quantity of the second-phase particles in the coating and dispersibility in plating solution, which contributed to high-hardness composite coating, thus improving wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the whole coating. Morphology of the composite coating prepared in ultrasonic-pulse electrodeposition method was more smooth, the grain was finer, the structure was more compact, and the composite coating was harder, and wear resistance and corrosion resistance were better. Compared with SiC composite coating, SiO2 composite coating exhibits better corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance. Finally, application prospect and future research focus of particle-reinforced nickel-based composite materials were analyzed.