Modern web applications frequently require users to select multiple options from a list. Product category selection, search result filters, and email recipient pickers all depend on multiple select components that handle these interactions efficiently.
This article presents the best 10 open-source JavaScript libraries that provide multiple select functionality. Each library includes features such as search and filtering, checkbox controls, keyboard navigation, and customizable styling.
The ranking reflects three metrics: GitHub stars, update activity over the past twelve months, and page views on CSSScript.com during the past year. These metrics indicate both community adoption and active maintenance.
Review the libraries below to find the solution that matches your project requirements.
Last updated: Dec 16, 2025
1. Filterable & Checkable Multi-Select Dropdown In JavaScript
This library converts native select elements into filterable dropdown lists with checkbox controls. The component displays selected options as removable tags adjacent to the dropdown trigger.
Features:
- Framework-agnostic vanilla JavaScript implementation
- Built-in search and filter functionality
- Tag/token display for selected items
- Checkbox interface for each option
- Lightweight footprint with no external dependencies
Best For:
- Projects that require zero framework dependencies
- Applications that need tag-based selection displays
2. Multi-Select Box With Tree Structured Data Dropdown List – Treeselect
A user-friendly multi select JS library that allows the user to select single or multiple options from a tree-style hierarchical dropdown list.
Features:
- Tree-style hierarchical option organization
- React wrapper available
- Vue wrapper available
- Complete keyboard navigation (ArrowUp, ArrowDown, Space, ArrowLeft, ArrowRight, Enter)
- Screen-aware dropdown positioning
- TypeScript support with type definitions
Best For:
- Applications with nested category structures
- Projects that need framework-specific wrappers
3. High Performance Select Box with Virtual Scroll (Vanilla JS) – Virtual Select
A high-performance, Material Design style select box replacement that supports single/multiple select, virtual scrolling (for larger data lists), live search, and dynamic data rendering.
Features:
- Virtual scrolling supports 100,000+ dropdown options
- Multi-select and single-select modes
- Built-in search functionality
- Right-to-Left text support
- Server-side option loading via API
- Material Design visual style
Best For:
- Applications with large datasets (thousands of options)
- Projects that need Material Design consistency
- Interfaces that load options dynamically from APIs
4. Customizable Select Box & Input Field Enhancement Library – Choices.js
A vanilla JavaScript plugin that converts the normal select or input into customizable select inputs with multi-select and autocomplete support.
Features:
- Lightweight codebase
- Zero jQuery dependency
- Configurable sorting options
- Flexible CSS styling system
- Fast search and filtering
- Clean, well-documented API
- Right-to-Left language support
- Custom template system
Best For:
- Applications that need extensive customization
- Interfaces that require RTL language support
5. Multiselect Dropdown List With Checkboxes – multiselect.js
An unobtrusive JavaScript plugin that converts the native select box into a multi-select control with checkboxes and check all button.
Features:
- Selected item count display
- Substring search through option lists
- Efficient performance on large datasets
- Select all and deselect all controls
- Direct form submission without additional extensions
Best For:
- Forms that need select-all functionality
- Applications that require substring search
- Projects focused on performance optimization
6. Custom Single/Multi Select In Pure JavaScript – vanillaSelectBox
A Vanilla JavaScript library that transforms the regular select element into a customizable, searchable, checkable dropdown list.
Features:
- Pure vanilla JavaScript implementation
- Searchable option lists
- Checkbox-based selection interface
- Single and multiple selection modes
- Customizable appearance
Best For:
- Projects that require vanilla JavaScript solutions
- Applications that need both single and multi-select modes
7. Multiple Select With Dropdown List – multiselect
A vanilla JavaScript multi-select plugin that transforms the normal multi-select element into a user-friendly tags input.
Features:
- Vanilla JavaScript implementation
- Tag/token display for selections
- Dropdown option list
- No external dependencies
Best For:
- Interfaces that need tag-style displays
- Projects that require minimal dependencies
8. Advanced Select Boxes For Bootstrap 5 With use-bootstrap-select
A JavaScript plugin that enhances standard select elements with customizable features using the native Bootstrap 5 dropdown component.
Features:
- Native Bootstrap 5 integration
- Tag-style pill displays for selections
- Searchable and filterable options
- Clearable selection controls
- Dynamic option addition
- Customizable sizing
- Form validation support
- Single and multi-select modes
Best For:
- Projects already using Bootstrap 5
- Forms that require validation integration
9. Multi-select Dropdown Picker With Vanilla JavaScript
A vanilla JS dropdown picker for users to select one or more items from a predefined list.
Features:
- Zero dependencies
- No jQuery requirement
- Image-free implementation
- Minimal file size
- Fast load and execution times
Best For:
- Performance-critical applications
- Projects with strict file size budgets
10. Multi-select Dropdown Component With Vanilla JavaScript – sellect.js
A vanilla JavaScript plugin that converts a standard input into a multi-select dropdown UI where users can select multiple items from an autocomplete/autosuggest list. Great for tag/token manager.
Features:
- Vanilla JavaScript implementation
- Autocomplete/autosuggest functionality
- Multi-select capability
- Tag/token management interface
Best For:
- Tag and token management interfaces
- Applications that need autocomplete features
Which Multiple Select Library Should You Use?
For large datasets (1000+ options): Virtual Select handles 100,000+ options through virtual scrolling and maintains smooth performance.
For hierarchical data: Treeselect manages nested category structures and tree-style option organization.
For Bootstrap projects: use-bootstrap-select integrates directly with Bootstrap 5 components and maintains design consistency.
For minimal bundle size: The Multi-select Dropdown Picker delivers the smallest footprint with zero dependencies and no image assets.
For framework integration: Treeselect provides official React and Vue wrappers along with TypeScript support.
For best customization: Choices.js offers tons of API options, custom templates, and flexible styling systems.
More Resources
- 10 Best Multiple Select Plugins In JavaScript & jQuery
- 10 Best Tags Input Plugins In JavaScript
- 10 Best Dual List Box Plugins In JavaScript
- 10 Best Dropdown Plugins To Replace The Native Select Box
- 5 Best Multiple Select Components For Vue.js
- 10 Best Multiple Select Components For React & Reacti Native
FAQ
Q: What is a multiple select?
A: A multiple select component allows users to choose more than one option from a predefined list. Standard HTML select elements support multiple selection through the multiple attribute, but JavaScript libraries enhance this basic functionality with search, filtering, tag displays, and keyboard navigation.
Q: Do these libraries work without jQuery?
A: Yes. All ten libraries listed here run on vanilla JavaScript without jQuery dependencies.
Q: How do I add server-side data loading?
A: Virtual Select supports API-based option loading. Most other libraries accept programmatic option updates through their JavaScript APIs, which allows you to fetch data from servers and populate the dropdown dynamically.