Nanostructured WC–Co based coatings were investigated. The main focus was given to the effect of Al and Cr addition on their tribological behaviour. These coatings were successfully deposited from engineered nanosized powders using high velocity oxy fuel (HVOF) and atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). Porosity level was <3%. Crystal sizes of around 20–30 nm determined by TEM in such coatings, confirm the retention of a nanosize after thermal spraying. The nanostructured coatings were tested for their tribological characteristics and compared to industrial micrometre sized WC–Co coatings and common wear resistant engineering materials. It was found that decarburisation of the coating constituents is a critical issue and has a large impact on the tribological behaviour of the coatings. Proper selection of spraying technique, spraying parameters and distribution of phases are shown to be key factors for achieving nanostructured coatings with high wear resistance.