Portal hypertension, as one of the major complications of liver cirrhosis, is a common clinical syndrome characterized by an increased portal pressure and the formation of portal-systemic collaterals. Currently no ideal therapeutic agent has been available for portal hypertension. Sorafenib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has been shown to significantly improve blood flow dynamics, inhibit angiogenesis, reduce liver fibrosis and decrease portal pressure in the treatment of portal hypertension. The authors review the progress in the research of sorafenib in the treatment of portal hypertension and the mechanisms of its actions.