As climate change and human activities intensify, the capacity of ecosystems to maintain their functions and services hinges on their stability. As a crucial indicator of an ecosystem’s response to external pressures, ecosystem stability is essential for understanding how ecosystems maintain or restore their structures and functions under natural and anthropogenic disturbances. However, due to the complexity inherent in ecosystems makes it challenging to define and evaluate their stability accurately. Aiming to gain a comprehensive understanding of the research progress in this field, this study used bibliometric methods to comprehensively analyze the research focus of ecosystem stability in the past 20 years, explored the definition, research directions, assessment methods and influencing factors of ecosystem stability and provided a prospect for ecosystem stability research. The research shows that: (1) Based on CiteSpace analysis, there are significant differences in research hotspots on ecosystem stability between domestic and international studies. International research primarily focuses on stability, biodiversity, and resilience, while domestic studies are more concentrated on stability and indicator systems. (2) There are two directions in the study of ecosystem stability. One is based on equilibrium systems, which believes that there is only one state in the stable state in the ecosystem and focuses on the components of stability, such as temporal stability, resistance and resilience. The other is based on non-equilibrium systems, which believes that there are multiple stable states and revolves around ecological resilience. (3) Assessment methods for ecosystem stability include indicator systems, experimental observations, and remote sensing analysis. Among these, remote sensing is widely used for large-scale temporal and spatial assessments, experimental observations are typically applied to small-scale mechanistic studies, and indicator systems are often used for comprehensive evaluations and management decisions. (4) Ecosystem stability is predominantly shaped by biotic and abiotic factors, where biodiversity and climate assume pivotal roles. At large scales, stability is mainly regulated by climate, while at smaller scales, biodiversity takes precedence. (5) Research on ecosystem stability should establish standardized quantitative methods, integrating multiple disturbance factors and identifying regions with stability changes. Such studies should further focus on developing tailored technologies for maintaining and enhancing ecosystem stability in different zones. This would provide scientific support for improving ecosystem quality.