Abstract In this work, we propose a microwave sensor that allows the characterization of dielectric materials based on a differential configuration. A microstrip permittivity sensor of the surrounding material is proposed using a split ring-resonator to measure differentially. The geometry was optimized and was numerically analyzed using CST STUDIO. The numerical analysis of the metamaterial unit cells is carried out first, to determine the operating band. After that, the metamaterial cell was employed to design the differential microstrip permittivity sensor. The obtained results reveal that the proposed sensor has the capability to characterize different materials whose relative dielectric permittivity’s are in the range of 9.8 to 80 with great performance. The device has a total size of 86 mm × 60 mm and operates around 3 GHz. In this band, the sensor reaches a sensibility of 2.89 MHz and a Q -factor of 70.15. Thus, this work shows a compact, reusable, label-free, and non-destructive microwave sensing device and paves the way for high accuracy sensing of the dielectric properties of different materials due to its high- Q -factor as well as high sensitivity.