<p>Glucose detection is pivotal in healthcare, the food sector, and bioprocess monitoring. Developing low-cost, robust, highly selective, sensitive, and wide-linear-range catalytic materials is key to lowering the detection threshold. Non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors have emerged as a research focus due to their enzyme-free operation, high stability, and cost-effectiveness. Among various catalytic materials for non-enzyme sensors, nickel-based materials stand out for their abundant supply, favorable catalytic activity, and structural tunability, making them widely used in non-enzymatic glucose sensor construction. This review systematically examines the impact of synthesis methods (e.g., hydrothermal and solvothermal, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), electrochemical deposition, acoustic chemical method, pyrolysis, calcination, microwave-assisted, and plasma-based synthesis) on nickel-based materials and their performance, and it also analyzes the sensing performance variations across various systems, such as nickel-based compounds, complexes, and derivatives. Optimizing material composition and nanostructures can markedly improve sensor sensitivity, selectivity, and linear range. Furthermore, device-oriented innovations, such as integrating flexible electrodes with smart monitoring systems, have proven viable for real-world sample detection. Future research should tackle challenges such as catalytic efficiency under neutral conditions, long-term stability, and anti-interference capabilities to facilitate the commercialization of nickel-based non-enzymatic glucose sensors.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>