jQuery Script Blog

10 Best Multiple Select Plugins In JavaScript (2026 Update)

by jQueryScript,
Multiple Select

The native HTML <select multiple> element is a UX dead end.

On desktop, it requires users to hold Ctrl or Cmd to select multiple options. On mobile, the experience is often inconsistent as OS-level controls take over.

Worse, for developers, styling these elements is notoriously difficult due to browser-specific shadow DOM restrictions.

The standard solution is to hide the native input and mount a JavaScript-driven UI that offers clear checkboxes, search filtering, and tag-style tokens.

We benchmarked 10 jQuery and Vanilla JS plugins that replace the native input with user-friendly, filterable dropdowns.

 Here are the top 10 multiple select plugins updated for 2026. Enjoy.

Originally Published Jan 17 2018, updated Dec 08 2026

Table of contents:

Best jQuery Multiple Select Plugins:

jQuery Plugin For Multiple Select With Checkboxes - multi-select.js

Just another jQuery plugin that converts the regular multiselect box into an easy to use dropdown list with checkboxes to simplify the selection of multiple options.

Features:

  • Supports optgroup and categories.
  • Custom styles.
  • Allows to select options from a modal.

jQuery Plugin For Multiple Select With Checkboxes - multi-select.js

[Demo] [Download]

jQuery Multiple Select Plugin For Bootstrap - Bootstrap Multiselect

Bootstrap Multiselect is a jQuery plugin for Bootstrap 5/4/3 that allows you to select multiple options from a dropdown select list containing the single options as checkboxes.

Features:

  • Allows HTML content in options.
  • Right or Top dropdown.
  • Select All option to select all options with a single click.
  • Collapsible OptGroups.
  • Allows to filter options.
  • Custom templates.
  • Keyboard accessible.
  • Server-Side Processing.
  • And much more.

jQuery Multiple Select Plugin For Bootstrap - Bootstrap Multiselect

[Demo] [Download]

Multiple Select With Filter And Checkboxes Using jQuery

A jQuery plugin that converts a normal select box into a user-friendly filterable multi-select dropdown where your users are able to select one or more options by checking checkboxes.

Features:

  • A ROOT checkbox that allows you to select all options with a single click.
  • Compatible with the latest Bootstrap framework.
  • Allows to append more options to the select dropdown via JavaScript.
  • Keyboard accessibility.
  • Especially suitable for tags input that enables the user to select tags from a predefined list.

Multiple Select With Filter And Checkboxes Using jQuery

[Demo] [Download]

jQuery Plugin For Multi Select List with Checkboxes - MultiSelect

MultiSelect is a jQuery plugin that transforms a normal multi-select list into a multi-column dropdown list with checkboxes.

jQuery Plugin For Multi Select List with Checkboxes - MultiSelect

[Demo] [Download]

jQuery Plugin For Selecting Multiple Elements - Multiple Select

Multiple Select is a useful jQuery plugin that allows you to select multiple elements by clicking the checkboxes in a select drop down list.

Features:

  • Live filtering.
  • Supports the native select element.
  • Supports both single and multiple selection.
  • Supports both static and dynamic data.
  • Multiple languages.
  • Useful options, methods, and events.

jQuery Plugin For Selecting Multiple Elements - Multiple Select

[Demo] [Download]

Vanilla JavaScript Multiple Select Plugins

Filterable & Checkable Multi-Select Dropdown In JavaScript

A lightweight, framework-agnostic JavaScript library for creating enhanced multi-select dropdowns.

It converts the native select box into a filterable and checkable dropdown list and displays the selected options as tags/tokens on the page.

Filterable & Checkable Multi-Select Dropdown In JavaScript

[Demo] [Download]

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.

Custom Single/Multi Select In Pure JavaScript – vanillaSelectBox

[Demo] [Download]

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.

The users are allowed to select multiple options from the dropdown select. Click the ‘X’ button to remove the selected option.

Multiple Select With Dropdown List – multiselect

[Demo] [Download]

Advanced Select Boxes For Bootstrap 5 With use-bootstrap-select

use-bootstrap-select is a JavaScript plugin that enhances standard select elements with customizable features using the native Bootstrap 5 dropdown component.

Features:

  • Display selections as tag-style pills.
  • Searchable, filterable, and clearable options.
  • Add new options to the regular select box.
  • Customize sizing and proportions.
  • Validate forms and reflect states.
  • Work with single or multi-selects.

Advanced Select Boxes For Bootstrap 5 With use-bootstrap-select

[Demo] [Download]

Multi-select Dropdown Picker With Vanilla JavaScript

A vanilla JS dropdown picker for users to select one or more items from a predefined list. The user can also filter the list based on what they typed in the search field.

Multi-select Dropdown Picker With Vanilla JavaScript

[Demo] [Download]

Conclusion:

Looking for more jQuery plugins or JavaScript libraries to create awesome Multiple Select interfaces on the web & mobile? See jQuery Multiple Select and JavaScript Multiple Select sections for more details.

More Resources: