Butsudan is classified into three main types, i.e. kin butsudan (golden alters), karaki butsudan (rare foreign wood altars) and kagucho butsudan (furniture style altars) (details of which are to be referred to the respective sections).
大きく分類する場合は、金仏壇・唐木仏壇・家具調仏壇に分けられる（詳しくはそれぞれの項目を参照）。