Abstract: CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol is an important technology for synthesizing green fuels and basic chemical materials, as well as an effective carbon consumption technology and an important part of carbon neutrality technology system, which exhibits remarkably economic and environmental significance. The development of catalysts with high activity, high selectivity, and high stability is of great importance for the research of CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol technology. Copper-based catalysts have aroused a lot of attention from academia and industry. However, due to the chemical inertness of CO₂ and the easy side reactions, the activation of CO₂ and selective conversion to methanol are extremely challenging. Currently, there are still key challenges such as low CO₂ conversion, insufficient methanol selectivity, and catalyst deactivation. Herein, the recent research progresses of copper-based catalysts in CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol were systematically summarized. The reaction thermodynamics, kinetics, and reaction mechanism were analyzed. Catalyst active sites and the advantages/limitations of various carriers and promoters were elaborated. Besides, the influence of water in the reaction atmosphere on the catalyst and the reaction process were discussed. Finally, prospects for innovative research on copper-based catalysts for CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol were proposed. This review aims to provide insights for the development of efficient copper-based catalysts and the research on reaction processes and mechanisms, thereby promoting the development of CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol technology.