Atmospheric-pressure plasma jets are a promising alternative to traditional plasma sources for materials processing. This review compares various plasma sources, including transferred arcs, plasma torches, corona discharges, and dielectric barrier discharges, with the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. Traditional sources operate at low pressure and have high temperatures, making them suitable for metallurgical applications. However, they require vacuum systems, which are expensive and limit the size of the treated objects. Atmospheric-pressure plasmas, on the other hand, can operate at ambient pressure and are more cost-effective for large-area processing. Atmospheric-pressure plasma jets exhibit characteristics similar to low-pressure glow discharges. They have lower gas temperatures (25–200°C), lower charged particle densities (10¹¹–10¹² cm⁻³), and high concentrations of reactive species (10–100 ppm). These properties make them suitable for a wide range of applications, including etching and deposition of materials. The jet can be scaled to treat large areas, making it a viable alternative to vacuum-based processes. The paper reviews the physics and chemistry of various plasma sources, including their current-voltage characteristics, electron and neutral temperatures, charged particle densities, and gas compositions. It also compares the performance of these sources, highlighting the advantages of the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. The jet is particularly effective for applications where uniform processing is not required, such as in the deposition of silicon dioxide films. The paper also discusses the properties of different plasma sources, including their breakdown voltages, charge species densities, and temperature ranges. It compares the performance of these sources with the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet, showing that the jet is a promising alternative for materials processing. The jet is particularly effective for applications where uniform processing is not required, such as in the deposition of silicon dioxide films. The paper concludes that the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet has the greatest similarity to a low-pressure glow discharge and shows promise for use in a variety of materials applications that are currently limited to vacuum.Atmospheric-pressure plasma jets are a promising alternative to traditional plasma sources for materials processing. This review compares various plasma sources, including transferred arcs, plasma torches, corona discharges, and dielectric barrier discharges, with the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. Traditional sources operate at low pressure and have high temperatures, making them suitable for metallurgical applications. However, they require vacuum systems, which are expensive and limit the size of the treated objects. Atmospheric-pressure plasmas, on the other hand, can operate at ambient pressure and are more cost-effective for large-area processing. Atmospheric-pressure plasma jets exhibit characteristics similar to low-pressure glow discharges. They have lower gas temperatures (25–200°C), lower charged particle densities (10¹¹–10¹² cm⁻³), and high concentrations of reactive species (10–100 ppm). These properties make them suitable for a wide range of applications, including etching and deposition of materials. The jet can be scaled to treat large areas, making it a viable alternative to vacuum-based processes. The paper reviews the physics and chemistry of various plasma sources, including their current-voltage characteristics, electron and neutral temperatures, charged particle densities, and gas compositions. It also compares the performance of these sources, highlighting the advantages of the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. The jet is particularly effective for applications where uniform processing is not required, such as in the deposition of silicon dioxide films. The paper also discusses the properties of different plasma sources, including their breakdown voltages, charge species densities, and temperature ranges. It compares the performance of these sources with the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet, showing that the jet is a promising alternative for materials processing. The jet is particularly effective for applications where uniform processing is not required, such as in the deposition of silicon dioxide films. The paper concludes that the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet has the greatest similarity to a low-pressure glow discharge and shows promise for use in a variety of materials applications that are currently limited to vacuum.