Ce-doped α-FeOOH nanorods with high yields were conveniently prepared by a hydrothermal method followed by an acid-treatment process. It is found that Ce uniformly distributes in the α-FeOOH nanorod nanostructures through elemental mapping analysis. The 0.5 wt% Ce-doped α-FeOOH electrode displayed excellent cycling performance with a high discharge capacity of 830 mA h g−1 after 800 charge/discharge cycles at a high current of 2000 mA g−1. The enhanced electrochemical performance can be attributed to the improved electronic conductivity, Li-ion diffusion kinetics and structure stability after Ce doping. Furthermore, a 0.5 wt% Ce-doped α-FeOOH//LiFePO4 lithium ion cell with an initial discharge capacity of 580 mA h g−1 at 1000 mA g−1 based on the total weight of the anode material has been fabricated for the ﬁrst time. The obtained 0.5 wt% Ce-doped α-FeOOH electrode as anode material for sodium-ion batteries also exhibits a high initial discharge capacity of 587 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1.