The establishment of effective animal models is crucial for disease research. Dietary induction is a common method to establish animal models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The common animal models of diet-induced NAFLD mainly include high fat and sugar, high fat and cholesterol, and choline-deficient diet-induced models. Because of the various nutrients ingested in different modeling method, pathological characteristics of the liver, such as fatty deformation, inflammation, and fibrosis, are different. Additionally, animal models vary in terms of disease progression, disease severity, and applicable studies. This study analyzed and compared the common animal models of NAFLD induced by various diets in terms of modeling method, modeling time, pathological characteristics, applicable research, and related advantages and disadvantages to provide a reference for NAFLD researchers to select animal models.