Chondrosarcoma is one of the most common types of primary bone cancer that develops in cartilage cells. Resveratrol (Res), a natural polyphenol compound isolated from various fruits, has a suppressive effect on various human malignancies. It has been shown that Res inhibits matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-induced differentiation in chondrosarcoma cells. However, the effects of Res on cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion of chondrosarcoma cells, as well as the underlying mechanisms, remain largely unknown. To the best of our knowledge, the present study showed for the first time that Res inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in chondrosarcoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, it was shown that Res also suppressed chondrosarcoma cell invasion in a dose-dependent manner, probably via the inhibition of MMP2 and MMP9 protein expression. Molecular mechanism investigations revealed that Res could inhibit the activity of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways, which has been demonstrated to be important in the regulation of proliferation, apoptosis and invasion in various cancer cell types. In conclusion, this study suggests that Res may serve as a promising agent for the treatment of chondrosarcoma.