The work aims to study the influence of nanometer modulation period on structure and properties of CrWN/MoN nano-multilayer coatings. Nano-multilayer CrWN/MoN coatings with different modulation period were prepared by cathodic arc ion plating controlled by the permanent magnet with pure N2, alloy CrW target and pure metal Mo target. The microscale phase structure, morphology, hardness, friction coefficient and wear rate of the CrWN/MoN nano-multilayer coatings were systematically analyzed. The CrWN/MoN nano-multilayer coatings were composed of face-centered cubic CrWN and hexagonal d-MoN. With the decrease of modulation period, the XRD diffraction peak of CrWN/MoN nano-multilayer coatings was gradually weakened, and the diffraction peak of d-MoN (202) disappeared. The number of larger particles on the surface of the CrWN/MoN nano-multilayer coatings decreased and the surface quality of the coating was improved. With the modulation period decreasing from 45 nm to 13 nm, the hardness of the CrWN/MoN coatings decreased from 29.4 GPa to 25.5 GPa. When the modulation period decreased to 8 nm, the hardness and elastic modulus of the CrWN/MoN nanometer multilayer coatings reached the maximum values, 30.2 GPa and 354.6 GPa, respectively. With the decrease of modulation period, the average friction coefficient of CrWN/MoN nano-multilayer coatings gradually decreased from 0.45 to 0.29 and the wear rate decreased from 4.2×10?7 mm3/(N.m) to 3.3×10?7 mm3/(N.m). Thus, the modulation period has a great influence on the properties of CrWN/MoN nano-multilayer coatings. When the modulation period is 8 nm, the nano-multilayer CrWN/MoN coating has the highest hardness and the best wear resistance.