Abstract: Gel (hydrogel and aerogel) is a three-dimensional material of porous structures, which has found various applications. Cellulose has been widely studied in designing gel materials since it is inherently biodegradable and biocompatible. Cellulose and its derivatives can usually form a stable system by dissolving or uniformly dispersing in aqueous solution, and then be made into hydrogels via the proper crosslinking. In addition, cellulosic hydrogels can be further transformed into aerogels with supercritical drying or freeze drying. This work herein provides a systematical review of gel materials designed with cellulose and its derivatives. Firstly, a thorough analysis is implemented on the technologies in cellulosic hydrogel preparation and the mechanisms therein. The influence of different drying methods of aerogel on its morphology and structure are discussed. Furthermore, the applications of cellulosic gel in environmental protection, biomedicine, energy storage and other fields are summarized. Finally, the existing issues in this area are pointed out and prospected.