Electroplated chromium improves corrosion resistance while providing resistance to wear, fatigue and impact. However, hard chromium plating uses chromic acid, which releases fumes containing carcinogenic chromium +6 ions into air during the process. Therefore, numerous efforts have been carried out worldwide in the last decade to develop alternatives and several applications and processes were validated, among which trivalent chromium plating, electroless nickel and nickel alloy coatings, micro-welding, PVD, CVD, and thermal spraying. Nevertheless, these finishing processes have impacts on human health, ecosystems and resources. In this work, a Life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology based on Eco-indicators 99 was used to compare the environmental impacts and benefits of thermal spraying (including APS- and HVOF-sprayed WC-Co coatings and TWEA- and APS-sprayed hard steel coatings) to conventional chromium plating.