Viruses are obligate parasites that reply on host cellular factors to replicate and spread. The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) system, classically associated with sorting and downgrading surface proteins, is one of such host machineries hijacked by viruses across diverse families. Knowledge gained from research into ESCRT and viruses has in turn greatly advanced our understanding of many other cellular functions in which the ESCRT pathway is involved, e.g., cytokinesis. This review highlights the interplay between the ESCRT pathway and the viral factors of enveloped viruses with a special emphasis on retroviruses.