The article researches into single-axis and two-axis electro-induction cylindrical sensors of electric field strength of various designs. The aim of the research in the article is to conduct a comparative analysis of these sensors from the point of view of the error in an inhomogeneous electric field with a high degree of heterogeneity and to identify their design parameters, the optimization of which could lead to a decrease in this error and the expansion of the spatial range of measurements. As a result of the study, the objective functions of the sensor error were obtained for the first time, which made it possible to optimize their design parameters and establish: 1) the optimal size of the sensitive electrode of the single-coordinate sensor is θ0 = 53.5°, and the sensor error does not exceed ± 2% in the entire spatial measurement range 0 ≤ ≤a <1; 2) two-coordinate sensors with the same error have only technically acceptable angular dimensions of the sensitive electrodes, respectively, for version 1 - θ0 = 45°, for version 2 - θ0 = 90°. The sensors in version 1 have a positive, and in version 2 a negative error in the spatial measurement range 0 ≤ a <0.25, while the sensors in version 1 have a higher sensitivity. With approximately equal metrological characteristics, sensors with higher sensitivity should be selected. The practical goal of research is the possibility of sound design solutions to improve the metrological parameters of universal sensors used in electrometer devices for various purposes.