The invention relates to an axial cutting machine for a steel pipe. The technical scheme is that a milling cutter (4) is arranged on an output shaft of a speed regulating motor (19) mounted on an upper plane of a platform; radial sliding blocks (9) which are installed at four corners of a lower plane of the platform (6) are sleeved on corresponding sliding rods (10) at the same side in a sliding manner; sliding rods (10) are respectively fixed at two sides of an axial sliding block (5); the axial sliding block (5) is sleeved on a guide rail (3) in the sliding manner; the axial sliding block (5) is driven to slid along the guide rail (3) through an axial feeding flywheel (2) by utilizing threads, so as to drive the milling cutter (4) to axially move along the steel pipe (1); the platform (6) is driven to slide along the sliding rods (10) through a radial feeding flywheel (7) by utilizing the threads, and therefore, the milling cutter (4) can move along the steel pipe (1) in the radial direction; and a cutting machine is fixed on the steel pipe (1) by adjusting a movable clamping block (14) through a clamping hand wheel (17). According to the axial cutting machine for the steel pipe, a mechanical cutting mode is adopted; the axial cutting machine for the steel pipe has a simple structure, and is suitable for being applied to axially cutting a steel pipe, a natural gas pipeline, a petroleum pipeline and the like which are provided with cables in a paving way; and the axial cutting machine has a good market prospect.