Abiotic stress limits plant growth and development, leading to a reduction in crop yield. Plants have developed a series of stress response mechanisms to adapt to abiotic stress during evolution, including the myo-inositol (MI) metabolic pathway. MI is a class of small polar molecules with stable chemical properties. Plants can respond to a variety of abiotic stress by participating in osmoregulatory pathways through accumulating the glycoside derivatives of MI. Myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase (MIPS), inositol monophosphate phosphatase (IMP), and myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX) are involved in the MI metabolic pathway. They can participate in the synthesis of L-ascorbic acid (L-AsA) and partial cell wall polysaccharides by regulating the content of MI, and ultimately response to abiotic stresses such as salt, drought, alkali, and low temperature. This paper reviewed the research progress of the structure, biological functions of MI, MI metabolic pathway-related enzymes and its derivatives in plants response to abiotic stresses, providing an outlook to its future research directions. The aim of this study is to provide a theoretical basis for enhancing plant resistance to abiotic stresses by utilizing MI metabolism and breeding stress-resistant plant varieties.