There are seven types of antiviral drugs for chronic hepatitis B currently in clinical use in two categories, namely: alpha interferons, including plain interferon and pegylated interferon (short-acting interferon, long-acting interferon); and nucleoside (acid) analogs, including lamivudine, adefovir, telbivudine, entecavir, and tenofovir. Interferons have a fixed duration of treatment, generally recommended for one year; however, the efficiency rate is low, especially for Chinese patients (which is determined by the hepatitis B virus genotype), with a durable response rate of 20% to 40% after discontinuation; and they require injectable administration, and adverse effects are more common. Nucleoside (acid) analogs are oral drugs that are easy to administer and have a better ability to control viral replication, and side effects are less common. However, these drugs have two disadvantages: one is that they need to be taken for a long time, and it is difficult to specify the time to stop taking them; the other is that long-term use increases the risk of drug-resistant mutations, and once they are resistant, the treatment regimen needs to be changed. Therefore, the use of entecavir and tenofovir, which have a low incidence of resistance mutation, is now recommended as the preferred oral antivirals. In addition, many domestic and international hepatologists are conducting studies on various combination treatments between interferon and oral antivirals, but there are no mature protocols to promote yet. Since the current therapeutic drugs are not yet able to cure hepatitis B, the choice of therapeutic drugs and the follow-up during treatment become crucial. Patients with hepatitis B are advised to choose an experienced hepatologist for regular follow-up and adequate communication so as to improve the efficacy of antiviral therapy.