Abstract Due to the peculiar characteristics of SiPM sensors in terms of equivalent capacitance, gain and fast rise-time response, in several applications classic readout solutions for radiation detectors are not able to provide optimal performance. Thus, several ad hoc readout approaches have been developed to fully exploit the favourable features of this kind of detectors. In this note the main requirements for the SiPM readout electronics are discussed, for both energy and time measurements, in the light of the detector model, and an overview of the main architectures commonly employed is provided, along with a set of relevant design examples.