The invention discloses a 3D free-bending forming method and five-axis free bending device for metal pipes. The five-axis free bending device for the metal pipes comprises a pipe pushing module, a pipe axial-movement guiding module, a manipulator bending module, an induction coil heating module, a lubrication module, a reverse scanning module and a measurement module. The pipe pushing module comprises a conical push rod (3), a Z-direction servo motor (5), a ball screw (4) and a linear guide rail (1), and the Z-direction servo motor (5) is used for axial feeding of the pipes. The manipulator bending module comprises an X-direction servo motor (15), a Y-direction servo motor (16), a bending die driving servo motor (18), a bending die holder driving servo motor (17), a bending die (8) and a bending die holder (9). According to the 3D free-bending forming method and five-axis free bending device for the metal pipes, elbow pipes with different bending radii can be formed only by controlling the movement track of the manipulator bending device, and meanwhile since the plane of the bending die can be kept perpendicular to the axes of the pipes in real time, the forming quality of the bent pipes is good.