At present, there is a lack of commercially available test phantoms specifically designed for the photoacoustic (PA) field that encompass all desired parameters and applications of this technology. This review examines the existing phantoms in well-established imaging domains, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, optics, and positron imaging technology. By investigating phantom development and manufacturing in these established imaging fields, valuable patterns can be identified and analyzed. The systematic grouping and organization of the identified patterns, materials, and methods serve as a foundational framework for the development of various phantoms tailored to different PA imaging applications. This approach effectively minimizes the requirement for extensive development of individualized PA phantoms, thereby accelerating the commercialization and research efforts in the field of PA technology.