Compared with the chemical vapor transport (CVT) method used for preparation of crystals, close-spaced vapor transport deposition (CSVT) and vapor transport deposition (VTD) are less well known. In recent years, vapor transport deposition has been gradually applied to the preparation of antimony-based thin films (Sb2Se3, Sb2S3 and Sb2 (Se, S)3), tin-based thin films (SnS, SnS2) and bismuth-based thin films (Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3) and so on, which may become an important method for material preparation. In this paper, the research progress of vapor transport deposition for compound thin films is reviewed, its characteristics are analyzed, and its development trend is prospected.