<p>Recent advancements in vaccine technology have led to the development of RNA-based vaccines, including mRNA, circular RNA, and self-amplifying mRNA, which have emerged as a promising platform for tumor prevention and treatment. In comparison with conventional antitumor vaccines, such as whole cell, peptide, and DNA vaccines, RNA vaccines possess several advantageous characteristics. They have the capacity to encode multiple antigens, induce robust immune responses, and can be developed more expeditiously. Additionally, RNA vaccines have the potential for scalable manufacturing with acceptable safety profiles in cancer patients. Preliminary investigations, conducted both in preclinical and clinical settings, have yielded encouraging outcomes for RNA vaccines in the context of diverse tumor types. This review delineates the types, advances, and applications of RNA vaccines in antitumor therapy, as well as the challenges associated with their use. Finally, it introduces future technological directions for improving these current vaccine platforms for a wide range of therapeutic uses.</p>