The article characterizes the heuristic potential of modern typologies of party systems. Usually, when conducting comparative studies of political parties, quantitative typologies of party systems by Maurice Duverger, Jean Blondel and Giovanni Sartori are used. However, even their heuristic potential is only partially used. Therefore, the article draws attention to some features of these typologies. In particular, qualitative differences were noted between the two types of one-party systems described by Blondel – traditional and mobilization. Sartori’s analysis of party systems in shifting policies is also noteworthy. As a result of this analysis, four new types of (quasi-) party systems were formulated: dominant authoritarian, dominant non-authoritarian, non-dominant, and atomized. In addition, recently, political scientists have developed a number of new typologies and introduced new categories. Thus, Russell Dalton deepens the idea of the differences between authoritarian and adversarial party systems distinguishing exclusive and inclusive among authoritarian systems, and consensus, conflict, and consociative among adversarial ones. The evolution of Alan Siaroff’s typology is traced, which leads to a difference in party system and party model, as well as the emergence of new subtypes – one-party super-majority in a two-party system, dominance and dominance in a multi-party one. Grigorii Golosov, using a modified version of the Nagayama triangle, identifies polyvalent and bivalent systems with a dominant party, monovalent and polyvalent two-party systems, monovalent and bivalent multi-party systems. Finally, Immaculada Szmolka and Lucia G. del Moral conduct a comparative analysis of party systems based on four independent dimensions: competition, stability, the number of parties and the balance between them, polarization. Each measurement allows one to select from three to eight types of party systems, which creates a convenient set of characteristics. It is important to note that these typologies can be used to study party systems, both in stable and new volatile political systems.