Vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau was a critical pathway for enhancing ecosystem service functions and constructing an ecological security barrier. Significant differences existed in ecological benefits between plantations and natural secondary forests, however, a systematic assessment of multidimensional ecological functions remained relatively insufficient, and identifying the advantages and suitability of different vegetation restoration types was urgently needed. To address this gap, this study focused on the ecological restoration needs of the western Loess Plateau. Field investigations were conducted during the peak growing seasons of July to August in 2020 and 2023, targeting four typical vegetation restoration types-Pinus tabuliformis Carr., Platycladus orientalis, and Robinia pseudoacacia L. plantations, along with natural secondary forests. Ecological factors including soil physicochemical properties and vegetation attributes were measured to assess four ecosystem functions: water retention, carbon sequestration, nutrient conservation, and vegetation diversity. Soil quality index (SQI), Vegetation quality index (VQI), and Ecological quality index (EQI) were calculated using factor analysis and nonlinear functions to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of multidimensional ecological functions.The main results were as follows: (1) Natural secondary forests exhibited a pronounced soil structural advantage in the 0-100 cm profile, characterized by high porosity (total porosity: 55.25%) and elevated organic matter content (9.15 g/kg). and significantly greater biomass in the shrub layer (16.44 t/hm²), herb layer biomass (8.03 t/hm²), and litter stock (2.24 t/hm²) were significantly better than those in plantation forests. (2) In terms of ecological functions, natural secondary forests showed superior performance in water conservation (304.12 mm), nutrient retention, and vegetation diversity compared with plantations. Nevertheless, plantations exhibited functional advantages in specific aspects; for example, Pinus tabuliformis Carr. plantations achieved the highest carbon sequestration in the tree layer (76.19 t/hm²). (3) Regarding the integrated evaluation indices, natural secondary forests outperformed plantations significantly, with an SQI of 3.37, a VQI of 1.23, and an EQI of 4.60, indicating their overall ecological superiority. (4) Mantel tests and Pearson correlation analyses revealed that SQI and EQI were primarily influenced by herb layer attributes, soil nutrient status, and soil compaction level. Collectively, these findings underscored that natural secondary forests represented the most advantageous vegetation restoration type for optimizing regional ecological functions. In contrast, plantation management should prioritize structural adjustment toward near-natural configurations, including the reconstruction of understory shrub and herb layers, to improve ecosystem stability and multifunctionality. This study provided a scientific basis for vegetation restoration strategies and policy development aimed at sustaining ecosystem services and promoting ecological security on the Loess Plateau.