The treatment of thyroid nodules is progressively shifting toward minimally invasive and precision-oriented strategies. While traditional high-temperature thermal ablation techniques such as microwave ablation and radiofrequency ablation have been widely adopted, potential risks associated with their thermal effects including thermal injury to surrounding tissues and incomplete ablation due to thermal sink effects have spurred increasing interest in non-thermal ablation methods. Non-thermal ablation techniques exhibit diverse mechanisms of action and varying clinical applications. This article aims to review the principles of non-thermal ablation techniques and their current applications and advancements in treating thyroid nodules. It focuses on exploring the evolution of therapeutic strategies from classic chemical ablation to emerging approaches like irreversible electroporation and cryoablation, offering new insights for selecting treatment plans for thyroid nodules in clinical practice.