In 3D shape measurement technology, phase demodulation is a key step to analyze deformed fringe patterns to get object surface information. Phase shift method is a non frequency domain analysis method, which requires three or more fringe patterns and is only applicable to static measurement. However, phase demodulation methods based on frequency domain analysis, such as Fourier Transform, Windowed Fourier Transform, Wavelet Transform and Hilbert-Huang Transform, only need one fringe pattern to extract phase, which are easier to operate and more automatic, and suitable for dynamic phase extraction. The status of several phase demodulation methods are researched, and the basic principle of the phase demodulation methods and its demodulation effect on the phase are deeply analyzed, and finally summarizes the characteristics of the phase demodulation method based on frequency domain analysis and its prospects for the future.