This review summarizes the latest advances in microfluidic and nanofluidic research. The article discusses various microfluidic platforms, including lateral flow tests, linear actuated devices, pressure driven laminar flow, microfluidic large scale integration, segmented flow microfluidics, centrifugal microfluidics, electrokinetics, electrowetting, surface acoustic waves, and dedicated systems for massively parallel analysis. The review provides a detailed characterization of these platforms, their functional principles, unit operations, application examples, and strengths and limitations. It also outlines the requirements for selecting microfluidic platforms based on their characteristics and application needs. The review highlights the potential of microfluidic platforms for miniaturization, integration, automation, and parallelization of (bio-)chemical assays. It discusses the challenges and opportunities in the development of microfluidic systems, including the need for standardized fabrication technologies and the importance of compatibility between different microfluidic building blocks. The review also addresses the market requirements for microfluidic platforms, including portability, cost, sample throughput, and the number of parameters per sample. The article concludes with an overview of the current state of microfluidic technology and its potential for future applications in various fields such as diagnostics, drug discovery, biotechnology, and ecology.This review summarizes the latest advances in microfluidic and nanofluidic research. The article discusses various microfluidic platforms, including lateral flow tests, linear actuated devices, pressure driven laminar flow, microfluidic large scale integration, segmented flow microfluidics, centrifugal microfluidics, electrokinetics, electrowetting, surface acoustic waves, and dedicated systems for massively parallel analysis. The review provides a detailed characterization of these platforms, their functional principles, unit operations, application examples, and strengths and limitations. It also outlines the requirements for selecting microfluidic platforms based on their characteristics and application needs. The review highlights the potential of microfluidic platforms for miniaturization, integration, automation, and parallelization of (bio-)chemical assays. It discusses the challenges and opportunities in the development of microfluidic systems, including the need for standardized fabrication technologies and the importance of compatibility between different microfluidic building blocks. The review also addresses the market requirements for microfluidic platforms, including portability, cost, sample throughput, and the number of parameters per sample. The article concludes with an overview of the current state of microfluidic technology and its potential for future applications in various fields such as diagnostics, drug discovery, biotechnology, and ecology.