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• Magnetoelectric (ME) sensors based on open and close magnetic circuits are compared. • Shape morphing sensors lead to equal induced magnetization in both types of magnetic circuits. • The measured magnetic susceptibility agrees with the gauging of sensitivity of the ME sensors. • Sensitivities of 310.4 mV·A−1 and 69.1 V·A−1 are achieved in direct and indirect approaches. • ME sensors based shape morphing have great prospect in measuring current from ±5 µA to ±33 A. Various sensors of Metglas/PZT configuration based on magnetoelectric effect, including open-magnetic-circuit in bar-shape (IS), U-shape (US), and closed-magnetic-circuit in square-ring-shape (SS), with different dimensions are investigated from simulation, theoretical calculation to experiments, in homogeneous and vortex magnetic field. While the IS has great privilege in homogeneous field owing to the amendment shape anisotropy, the US/SS are well adapted in vortex field. For measuring current, the results indicate that the induced magnetization in the US and SS is equivalent and both larger than that of IS. The US sensitivities of 310.4 mV·A−1 and 69.1 V·A−1 are achieved in direct and indirect approaches, respectively, which are ∼1.27 times higher compared to the IS and the same increasing factor of measured magnetic susceptibility. Simple assembling, high sensitivity and high resolution make this US competitive with practical current measurement ranging from 5 µA to 33 A replying on different types of setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]