Abstract: This study systematically compared the impact of traditional pasteurization (TP), thermosonication combined with nisin (TSN), and irradiation (IR) on the physicochemical properties, functional components, and sensory quality of grape juice. In addition, widely targeted metabolomics was employed to assess changes in the metabolite profile. TP significantly increased the viscosity of the juice and led to noticeable color deterioration (P<0.05), while the IR group exhibited the lowest color difference, indicating its superior performance in color stability maintenance. All sterilization methods significantly increased the total phenolic and anthocyanin contents of the juice by 12.1%~21.7% and 27.8%~47.9%, respectively (P<0.05). The total flavonoid content decreased by 22.7%~36.0% in the TP and TSN groups, whereas it increased by 10% in the IR group. Metabolomics analysis revealed that TP induced the degradation of unsaturated fatty acids (α-linolenic acid and γ-linolenic acid) and essential amino acids (leucine and isoleucine), and the marked accumulation of furfural derivatives such as 2-Furoic acid, which ultimately contributed to nutrition and flavor deterioration. TSN and IR had limited effects on organic acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and phenolic compounds, but IR led to a marked down-regulation of specific anthocyanin monomers, including cyanidin-3-O-glucosylrutinoside and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside-5-O-glucoside. In summary, IR outperformed thermal sterilization in enhancing the sensory quality and preserving the stability of functional components in grape juice, demonstrating its superior processing adaptability and application potential. These results provided theoretical basis and technical references for the high-value processing of grape juice.