Over the last years, the development of minimally invasive surgery using percutaneous or laparoscopic ablative techniques for the treatment of small renal tumours has become more common. Cryotherapy and radiofrequency option have been now integrated in the armamentarium of the urologist. These approaches seem to be an attractive alternative to extirpative surgery in selected high-risk patients and offer on a short time basis equivalent cancer control to conventional surgery. This review presents recent data with regard to the use of cryotherapy and radiofrequency in the treatment of small renal tumours. These techniques will obviously have to stand the test of time.