As one of the epigenetic regulation mechanisms, ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling participates in various critical biological processes, including stem cell maintenance and differentiation, individual development, and other physiological and pathological processes in higher plants and animals. Recently, studies on chromatin remodeling have become one of hot fields in epigenetics. In this review, based on the recent progresses in the field of chromatin remodeling in higher plants and animals, we summarized the mechanisms of chromatin remodeling, and analyzed the diversity of the compositions and biological functions of chromatin remodeling complexes in higher plants and animals. Significantly, the function of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes in plant development under normal and environmental stress was emphatically summarized. This review will be helpful to understand the molecular mechanisms of the chromatin remodeling in plants.