Fiber-reinforced polymer composites, due to their exceptional lightweight and strength characteristics, are now widely used to strengthen reinforced concrete or masonry structures. Among other applications, they are used as anchoring systems using preformed pultruded rods or high-strength fiber ropes to be impregnated in-situ with a two-component epoxy resin. In both cases, the anchor part is a bar-type dowel component inserted into epoxy-filled holes, while the outer part is fan-shaped and is impregnated in situ on the structure strengthening system. One of the least investigated issues of their use is the pull-out and the shear strength of such anchoring systems. They depend on several factors such as the type of substrate, the anchor diameter, the bonding agent, the anchorage length, etc. This paper systematically summarizes the anchoring mechanism of different FRP systems in different materials through the analysis of experimental data, which are compared with results from some numerical modeling, mostly developed for anchoring metal bars. Deficiencies in the current state of knowledge and some useful recommendations for further study are also presented. Thus, the paper aims to contribute to a better evaluation of the anchor effectiveness in FRP and FRCM strengthening systems, and in particular of anchors used for anchoring fiber meshes and fabrics to prevent the overturning of infill walls in reinforced concrete buildings or walls in masonry buildings.