<p>Chatter is a highly destructive self-excited vibration phenomenon that occurs during the machining processes, often exacerbated by improper combinations of process parameters. Using the stable lobbing effect to avoid chatter is regarded as an effective strategy. This approach not only guides the optimization of chatter-free process parameters but also plays a crucial role in chatter suppression through the optimization of vibration suppression tools with various geometric configurations. As a result, the study of chatter stability prediction and the development of the stability lobe diagrams (SLDs) to avoid or suppress chatter has been a focal point of academic research for decades. Since the 1960s, numerous stability prediction methods have been proposed. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the historical development and recent advancements regarding stability prediction methods. They are systematically classified into frequency domain methods, time domain simulation methods, and time domain discretization methods. The applications of these methods in machining are reviewed, especially in milling and turning. In addition, the existing efficiency and accuracy improvement strategies of stability prediction are summarized. Finally, based on the existing research status and development trend, the future research prospects are discussed.</p>