Abstract This study utilized electroless nickel (EN) and cathodic arc evaporation (CAE) technologies to deposit protective coatings onto ductile iron. Polarization corrosion tests were performed in 3.5 wt.% sodium chloride, and also erosion tests were carried out by using Al2O3 particles (∼177 μm in size and Mohr 7 scale) of about 5 g. Surface morphologies of the corroded and eroded specimens were observed separately. To further understand the coating effects on both the corrosive and erosive behavior of ductile iron, coating structure, morphology, and adhesion were analyzed using X-ray diffractormeter, scanning electron microscopy, and Rockwell-C indenter, respectively. The results showed that the EN exhibited an amorphous structure while the CAE-TiAlN/ZrN coating was a multilayered nanocrystalline. When the TiAlN/ZrN coated specimen with EN interlayer could effectively increase the adhesion strength between the CAE coating and substrate. Consequently, the combination of TiAlN/ZrN and EN delivered a better performance than did the monolithic EN or TiAlN/ZrN for both corrosion and erosion protection.