Rife algorithm is a classical algorithm for frequency estimation of sine wave. Its drawback is that the estimation performance is poor when the true frequency is close to the frequency quantization points or the SNR is low. After analyzing the theory of Zoom-FFT, its amplification function for spectrum is verified. Furthermore, an improved frequency estimation algorithm based on Zoom-FFT is proposed. After the Zoom-FFT process, spectrum of a narrowband centered on true frequency is amplified, and then Rife algorithm is used to finish the accurate estimation of signal frequency. Simulation results indicate that the improved Rife algorithm has higher estimation accuracy and better anti-noise performance than Rife algorithm and some other improved algorithms. Moreover, it is insensitive to the position of the true frequency in the spectrum. However, to a certain extent, the computation load is improved.