Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are biopolymers synthesized by microorganisms under various environmental stress conditions, offering biodegradable and environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic polymers. They exhibit structural versatility and functional properties, making them valuable in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, cosmetics, textiles, and environmental remediation. Commonly used EPSs include homopolysaccharides like dextran, bacterial cellulose, curdlan, and levan, and heteropolysaccharides like xanthan gum, alginate, gellan, and kefiran. Recent attention has shifted to extremophile bacteria producing EPSs with novel protective and biological features under extreme conditions. This review provides an overview of the functional properties and applications of commonly employed EPSs, emphasizing their importance in various industries and scientific endeavors. It highlights the potential of EPSs with novel compositions, structures, and properties, including underexplored protective functionalities. Despite their benefits, challenges remain, and the review discusses these challenges, explores opportunities, and outlines future directions, focusing on their impact on developing innovative, sustainable, and functional materials. The bibliometric analysis conducted in this review reveals a growing interest in EPSs from extremophiles, with a peak in research activity in 2022. India, China, Italy, Poland, and the United States are significant contributors to this field, driven by robust scientific infrastructure and dedicated research initiatives. The integration of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering is expected to expand the applications of EPSs, aligning with current trends in sustainability and the circular economy. EPSs are versatile biopolymers with unique structures and properties, making them suitable for a wide range of applications. They are non-toxic, biodegradable, biocompatible, and exhibit excellent thermal stability and water retention capacity. Key applications include pharmaceuticals, healthcare, cosmetics, functional foods, biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, oil recovery, heavy metal removal, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. The review also discusses the use of alternative fermentation media derived from abundant and cost-effective sources, such as lignocellulosic biomass and agro-industrial waste, to enhance the scalability and sustainability of EPS production. Overall, the review underscores the importance of EPSs in driving innovation and sustainability across various sectors, highlighting the need for continued research and exploration in this promising field.Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are biopolymers synthesized by microorganisms under various environmental stress conditions, offering biodegradable and environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic polymers. They exhibit structural versatility and functional properties, making them valuable in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, cosmetics, textiles, and environmental remediation. Commonly used EPSs include homopolysaccharides like dextran, bacterial cellulose, curdlan, and levan, and heteropolysaccharides like xanthan gum, alginate, gellan, and kefiran. Recent attention has shifted to extremophile bacteria producing EPSs with novel protective and biological features under extreme conditions. This review provides an overview of the functional properties and applications of commonly employed EPSs, emphasizing their importance in various industries and scientific endeavors. It highlights the potential of EPSs with novel compositions, structures, and properties, including underexplored protective functionalities. Despite their benefits, challenges remain, and the review discusses these challenges, explores opportunities, and outlines future directions, focusing on their impact on developing innovative, sustainable, and functional materials. The bibliometric analysis conducted in this review reveals a growing interest in EPSs from extremophiles, with a peak in research activity in 2022. India, China, Italy, Poland, and the United States are significant contributors to this field, driven by robust scientific infrastructure and dedicated research initiatives. The integration of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering is expected to expand the applications of EPSs, aligning with current trends in sustainability and the circular economy. EPSs are versatile biopolymers with unique structures and properties, making them suitable for a wide range of applications. They are non-toxic, biodegradable, biocompatible, and exhibit excellent thermal stability and water retention capacity. Key applications include pharmaceuticals, healthcare, cosmetics, functional foods, biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, oil recovery, heavy metal removal, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. The review also discusses the use of alternative fermentation media derived from abundant and cost-effective sources, such as lignocellulosic biomass and agro-industrial waste, to enhance the scalability and sustainability of EPS production. Overall, the review underscores the importance of EPSs in driving innovation and sustainability across various sectors, highlighting the need for continued research and exploration in this promising field.