<p>Residual stress remains one of the major barriers to achieving reliable, high-performance components in metal additive manufacturing (AM). Although numerous studies have examined individual factors influencing residual stress, a comprehensive perspective that integrates processing conditions, material response, characterization approaches, and mitigation strategies is still lacking. This review provides a structured evaluation of the origins, evolution, and implications of residual stress across major metal AM processes. The novelty of this work lies in its cross-comparison of process parameters, scan strategies, material systems, and thermal histories, offering a unified understanding of how these variables collectively govern stress development. A further contribution is the direct comparison between additively manufactured and wrought alloys, elucidating how AM-specific thermal cycles, microstructures, and defect populations affect residual stress, mechanical performance, and corrosion/SCC behavior relative to conventional processing routes. The review also assesses the capabilities and limitations of current experimental and analytical measurement techniques, consolidating advanced mitigation strategies, including scan-path optimization, substrate preheating, support-structure design, and post-processing treatments. In addition, the role of predictive modelling, spanning thermo-mechanical, multiphysics, and microstructural frameworks, is highlighted to demonstrate its growing relevance in forecasting stress evolution and guiding process optimization. By synthesizing fragmented findings across the literature, this work identifies key trends, persistent challenges, and future research directions essential for advancing residual-stress control and improving part quality in next-generation metal AM systems.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>