The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) has increased rapidly in recent years. The causes of AKI are complex and diverse, and there is no effective treatment strategy. Reliable and stable animal models and in vitro models play an important role in the development and prevention of AKI. Focusing on rodent models and in vitro models, this review summarizes AKI models induced by ischemia, nephrotoxic drugs and urinary tract obstruction from three levels of prerenal, intrinsic renal and postrenal AKI.