Objectives <p>Self-compassion serves as a significant resilience factor influencing subjective well-being (SWB). However, previous research has primarily focused on its overall effects rather than how its six components relate to SWB.</p> Method <p>Longitudinal data were collected from 477 Chinese university students (<i>M</i>_age = 19.97, <i>SD</i> = 0.98; 51.78% female) across two time points (T1: October 2020; T2: March 2021). A cross-lagged panel network approach was utilized to investigate directional links between the six facets of self-compassion and diverse dimensions of SWB.</p> Results <p>The results indicated that mindfulness positively predicted SWB, whereas self-judgment and isolation negatively predicted it. Additionally, SWB predicted specific self-compassion components, namely mindfulness and isolation. Moreover, mindfulness and self-judgment acted as the most influential nodes within the overall network, also serving as bridge nodes that connect self-compassion and SWB.</p> Conclusions <p>These results deepen insight into the dynamic interplay and longitudinal development of self-compassion and SWB, suggesting explanatory pathways for how self-compassion interventions yield positive outcomes.</p>