This review discusses the importance of establishing green solvents in various chemical processes, driven by environmental legislation and evolving attitudes. It highlights the role of solvent selection guides in reducing the use of hazardous solvents and enhancing the greenness of chemical processes, particularly in laboratory organic synthesis and the pharmaceutical industry. The review compares several general-purpose solvent selection guides, emphasizing their similarities and differences, and provides detailed guidance on how to use these tools effectively. The background section explains the significance of solvents in green chemistry, noting that while solvents are not directly responsible for reaction products or formulations, their use can have significant environmental and health impacts. It discusses the limitations of historical solvent substitution strategies and the need for more sophisticated approaches that incorporate solvent performance and tailor-made solutions. The review defines green solvents using a two-tiered assessment of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) factors and energy demand. It presents two prominent solvent ranking scales: one from ETH Zurich and another from Rowan University, both of which provide numerical rankings and visual aids to help users select more sustainable solvents. The section on solvent selection for exploratory chemistry highlights the importance of solvent choice in pharmaceutical and fine chemical synthesis, where solvents can significantly influence reaction rates and product selectivity. It discusses the use of simple visual aids and mobile phone apps for solvent selection, as well as industry-specific solvent selection guides from companies like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Sanofi. The review also examines the scoring systems used in solvent selection guides, such as those from GSK, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute, and the CHEM21 consortium. These systems consider various parameters like waste, environmental impact, health, safety, and life cycle assessment to rank solvents. Finally, the review addresses the issue of solvent origin, noting that few solvent selection guides consider the renewability of solvents. It discusses recent efforts to incorporate bio-based solvents into solvent selection guides and the challenges and opportunities in this area. The review concludes with a discussion of the limitations and future directions in solvent selection, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive and data-driven approaches to enhance the greenness of chemical processes.This review discusses the importance of establishing green solvents in various chemical processes, driven by environmental legislation and evolving attitudes. It highlights the role of solvent selection guides in reducing the use of hazardous solvents and enhancing the greenness of chemical processes, particularly in laboratory organic synthesis and the pharmaceutical industry. The review compares several general-purpose solvent selection guides, emphasizing their similarities and differences, and provides detailed guidance on how to use these tools effectively. The background section explains the significance of solvents in green chemistry, noting that while solvents are not directly responsible for reaction products or formulations, their use can have significant environmental and health impacts. It discusses the limitations of historical solvent substitution strategies and the need for more sophisticated approaches that incorporate solvent performance and tailor-made solutions. The review defines green solvents using a two-tiered assessment of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) factors and energy demand. It presents two prominent solvent ranking scales: one from ETH Zurich and another from Rowan University, both of which provide numerical rankings and visual aids to help users select more sustainable solvents. The section on solvent selection for exploratory chemistry highlights the importance of solvent choice in pharmaceutical and fine chemical synthesis, where solvents can significantly influence reaction rates and product selectivity. It discusses the use of simple visual aids and mobile phone apps for solvent selection, as well as industry-specific solvent selection guides from companies like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Sanofi. The review also examines the scoring systems used in solvent selection guides, such as those from GSK, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute, and the CHEM21 consortium. These systems consider various parameters like waste, environmental impact, health, safety, and life cycle assessment to rank solvents. Finally, the review addresses the issue of solvent origin, noting that few solvent selection guides consider the renewability of solvents. It discusses recent efforts to incorporate bio-based solvents into solvent selection guides and the challenges and opportunities in this area. The review concludes with a discussion of the limitations and future directions in solvent selection, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive and data-driven approaches to enhance the greenness of chemical processes.