PurposeKnowledge sharing is critical to creating value in platform ecosystems. However, participants refrain from sharing knowledge and even engage in free-riding behavior, thereby causing the value co-destruction of the platform ecosystems. To encourage knowledge sharing among participants, it is essential to analyze the influencing factors and decision-making mechanisms of knowledge sharing in the platform ecosystems.Design/methodology/approachThe study investigated the issue of knowledge sharing among participants in platform ecosystems, based on the stochastic differential game model. Considering the uncertain factors, the Nash non-cooperative game, Stackelberg leader-follower game, and cooperative game models were proposed. By utilizing system dynamics and numerical simulations, the key influencing factors and mechanisms of knowledge sharing were deeply explored, consequently providing game solutions to achieve the Pareto optimality of the ecosystem.FindingsParticipants' innovation capability and the marginal benefits of knowledge-sharing positively impact knowledge-sharing decisions, while the environmental knowledge decay rate has a negative influence. The platform subsidy mode enhances the knowledge-sharing effect, and the collaborative cooperation mode can realize the Pareto optimization of the system.Practical implicationsThe research findings will provide theoretical support for fostering knowledge innovation and sustainable development of platform ecosystems. Managers should cultivate an innovative environment, establish fair reward mechanisms, and utilize subsidies to promote knowledge sharing, leading to higher value creation.Originality/valueUtilizing the stochastic differential game model, the study proposed various game-theoretic frameworks to analyze participants' knowledge-sharing strategies. The integration of system dynamics and numerical simulations provides a practical approach to understanding the key influencing factors and decision-making processes.
