The work aims to test resolution of atomic force microscope and white light interferometer in surface material tests, and corresponding applicability to tests of various surface materials. Several surface materials of different thickness, including ZnO film, graphene and wear scar, were tested with the atomic force microscope and white light interferometer. ZnO film thickness above 100 nm could be measured accurately with 10× and 50× white light interferometers as well as atomic force microscope, measured film thickness was 148.668 nm, 123.354 nm and 111.648 nm, respectively; ZnO film thickness above 10 nm could be measured accurately with atomic force microscope, measured film thickness was 6.152 nm, but white light interferometer could not measure the thickness. 3D data such as size, thickness, and number of layers of graphene sheet could be measured accurately with atomic force microscope, measured thickness was nearly 0.665 nm, number of layers of graphene was 1~2, but white light interferometer had not such high resolution; 3D data such as width and depth of wear scar could be measured accurately with white light interferometer, the depth of wear scar was 4.245 μm, but atomic force microscope could not be used to test such rough surfaces. Atomic force microscope is suitable for testing 3D morphology and data of relatively smooth surface materials, such as film thickness above 10nm, thickness and number of layers of graphene sheets; white light interferometer is suitable for testing 3D morphology and data of relatively smooth surface materials, such as film thickness above 100 nm and depth of wear track above 1 μm.