Hydrogen peroxide is an important signaling molecule involved in the regulation of plant growth and development. As a reactive oxygen species, it can cause oxidative stress, but moderate oxidative stress is beneficial to fruit ripening. According to the characteristics of fruit ripening, it can be divided into climacteric and non-climacteric fruit. H2O2 is involved in the regulation of the ripening process of climacteric and non-climacteric fruit, but there are some differences in the regulatory mechanism. This literature review summarized the molecular and physiological mechanisms of H2O2 regulating fruit ripening, the mechanism of H2O2 interacting with genes and plant hormones regulating fruit ripening, and the effect of H2O2 -mediated oxidative modification on climacteric and non-climacteric fruit ripening. Understanding the regulatory mechanism of H2O2 in fruit senescence and ripening can provide theoretical basis and reference for using H2O2 to regulate fruit ripening in the future.