Nanofluid had been widely used in heat transfer applications due to its better thermophysical properties. However, nanofluid had a problem in the stability of nanoparticles suspended in the based fluid. Several ways had been done to increase the stability of nanofluids including using surfactants. The purpose of this review is to uncover the stability and heat transfer performance of nanofluid using surfactants. A systematic review was used to collect the related articles for this review. This review shows the mechanism of two types of surfactants that had been used which are ionic and non-ionic. Furthermore, the stability of nanofluid is very important to enhance the thermal performance of nanofluid. The recommendations are highlighted to study the optimum amount of surfactant for respective nanofluids.