<p>Cold spray (CS) is a solid-state deposition process that accelerates particles in a gas to create parts or coatings. Deformation is central to the mechanical and metallurgical bonds that facilitate particle cohesion and deposit formation. Most research works focus on high-pressure inert gas CS (HPCS), neglecting the potential of air-based CS which is often overlooked because of its poorer deposit qualities. Despite this, air-based CS presents advantages in terms of cost and energy savings and has recently gained attention as a promising new CS additive manufacturing method. This review contrasts HPCS and air-based CS, identifying key differences and bonding modes. Then, state-of-the-art air-based CS research is captured and reviewed revealing a diverse range of application areas including functional coatings, medical, machine tool manufacture, and metal-to-ceramic interfacing. Additionally, research efforts to improve air-based CS quality and bonding, which mainly centre around feed-stock morphology optimisation, print pathing, and post-treatment techniques, are captured. Literature is grouped into three main research categories: metal feed-stocks, metal matrix composites and powder mixes, and novel applications. Accompanying tabulated summaries are presented, detailing CS system parameters, such as gas pressures and temperatures, feed-stock and substrate materials, and application area. Future research directions in air-based CS are also discussed in the context of technology promotion, key strengths and applications, and methods for enhancing CS systems and deposit qualities.</p>