Porous materials have received significant attention for catalyst, electrochemical energy storage, sensing and compound capture. Large surface area and connected inner channel make porous materials outstanding in the applications of catalyst, batteries and biomedicine. Glass is a traditional material and has the advantages of high stability and other physical properties. By combining the advantages of porous materials and glass, porous glass has been researched widely and applied to many leading-edge fields, such as batteries and sensors. This review presents common methods for synthesizing porous glass, including phase separation process (PSP), direct leaching process (DLP) of acid, sintering and so on. Three main steps for fabrication of each process are concluded. The recent applications are support, capturer and matter transport, and they are highlighted in this review. Future directions for preparing these materials are also discussed.