Using panel data from 31 provinces in China from 2013 to 2021, this study employs the entropy weight method to construct an index for platform economy development and combines it with the digital inclusive finance index. By employing the two-way fixed effects model, the mediation effect model, the threshold effect model, and the spatial effect model, this study systematically examines the impact mechanism of digital finance on the platform economy. The findings indicate that digital finance significantly promotes the development of the platform economy. Mechanism analysis shows that digital finance empowers platform economic development by stimulating entrepreneurial vitality on platforms. Non-linear tests reveal that the promotional effect of digital finance exhibits a dynamic threshold characteristic of “high at first, then low, and high again. ” The regional heterogeneity shows that the platform economy follows a gradient pattern of “eastern region>central region>western region>northeastern region,” with the effect of digital finance being most significant in the eastern region. The spatial econometric results confirm that digital finance has a positive spatial spillover effect. The study concludes that improving the digital finance system can effectively enhance the efficiency of financial services to the real economy and promote the deep integration of the digital economy with the real economy. The findings provide theoretical support and practical insights for optimizing regional digital finance resource allocation and fostering new quality productive forces through the integration of digital and real economies.