10 Best Multiple Select Plugins In JavaScript (2026 Update)
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 Sep 20 2026
Table of contents:
- Quick Comparison
- Best jQuery Multiple Select Plugins
- Best Vanilla JavaScript Multiple Select Libraries
- How To Choose A Multiple Select Library
- More Multiple Select Resources
Quick Comparison
| Library | Stack | Key Features | Best Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bootstrap Multiselect | jQuery + Bootstrap | Search, checkboxes, Select All, optgroups | Bootstrap forms |
| Select2 | jQuery | Search, tags, AJAX, templates | Remote and data-heavy forms |
| MultiSelect | jQuery | Search, multi-column checkboxes, Select All | Dense checkbox lists |
| Multiple Select | jQuery | Filtering, checkboxes, dynamic data | Native select enhancement |
| multi-select.js | jQuery | Checkboxes, optgroups, modal selection | Simple legacy jQuery forms |
| Choices.js | Vanilla JS | Search, tags, custom templates | Tagging and autocomplete |
| Tom Select | Vanilla JS | Search, tags, remote data, plugins | Extensible select controls |
| Slim Select | Vanilla JS | Search, limits, custom HTML | Lightweight form controls |
| Virtual Select | Vanilla JS | Search, Select All, virtual scrolling | Very large option lists |
| Filterable & Checkable Multi-Select | Vanilla JS | Search, checkboxes, Select All, tags | Simple checkbox dropdowns |
Best jQuery Multiple Select Plugins
jQuery Multiple Select Plugin For Bootstrap - Bootstrap Multiselect
Bootstrap Multiselect converts native select fields into Bootstrap dropdowns with checkbox-based single or multiple selection. It is a good match for Bootstrap projects that need built-in filtering, Select All controls, optgroups, callbacks, and API methods.
- Checkbox-style options inside a Bootstrap dropdown.
- Text and value filtering for long option lists.
- Select All, Deselect All, and reset controls.
- Collapsible optgroups and custom templates.
- Bootstrap 5, 4, and 3 integration.
Select2: Searchable Select Box Plugin for jQuery
Select2 turns native select elements into searchable single- and multi-select controls. Its AJAX adapter, tagging, result templates, selection templates, and result pagination work well for data-heavy forms and remote search.
- Local search across single and multiple select fields.
- Remote AJAX results with pagination.
- Tag creation and token separators.
- Custom result and selected-value templates.
- Selection limits, placeholders, themes, and localization.
jQuery Plugin For Multi Select List with Checkboxes - MultiSelect
MultiSelect turns a normal multi-select field into a checkbox dropdown that can split long option lists across multiple columns. Search, Select All, optgroup selection, and programmatic reload methods make it useful for dense form controls.
- One or more option columns.
- Text or value search with configurable delay.
- Select All and optgroup-level selection.
- Configurable checkbox display and placeholder summaries.
- Load, reload, reset, disable, and settings methods.
jQuery Plugin For Selecting Multiple Elements - Multiple Select
Multiple Select enhances native select fields with checkbox selection and live filtering. It accepts HTML options or JavaScript data and includes options, methods, and events for both single- and multi-select controls.
- Live filtering.
- Checkbox-based multiple selection.
- Static HTML or dynamic JavaScript data.
- Single-select and multi-select modes.
- Multiple languages and Bootstrap 3/4 themes.
jQuery Plugin For Multiple Select With Checkboxes - multi-select.js
multi-select.js is a compact jQuery option for converting a multiple select field into a checkbox dropdown. Its smaller feature set suits older jQuery forms that need optgroups, custom styling, or modal-based selection.
- Checkbox-based multiple selection.
- Optgroups and categories.
- Custom styling hooks.
- Modal selection mode.
Vanilla JavaScript Multiple Select Libraries
Customizable Select Box & Input Field Enhancement Library - Choices.js
Choices.js enhances select and text inputs with searchable multi-select, autocomplete, and tag-style values. It also exposes custom templates, dynamic choices, selection limits, and programmatic methods for richer form controls.
- Searchable single and multiple select fields.
- Tag-style values and user-created items.
- Custom templates and CSS class configuration.
- Dynamic choices and programmatic value control.
- Search controls for large choice sets.
Tom Select
Tom Select is a framework-agnostic select control with ranked search, tag creation, remote data loading, custom rendering, and a plugin system. Checkbox options and virtual scrolling are available as plugins when a project needs those behaviors.
- Search and ranked option matching.
- Tag creation and multi-item selection.
- Remote data loading.
- Custom option and selected-item templates.
- Checkbox and virtual-scroll plugins.
Multi-select Dropdown Component For JavaScript - Slim Select
Slim Select enhances native select fields with built-in search, multi-selection limits, dynamic data, custom option HTML, and programmatic methods. Its modal mode also adapts the option list for smaller screens.
- Real-time option search.
- Minimum and maximum selection limits.
- Custom HTML inside options.
- Dynamic data and asynchronous search callbacks.
- ARIA attributes and keyboard navigation.
High Performance Select Box with Virtual Scroll - Virtual Select
Virtual Select focuses on large option sets. It supports single and multiple selection, live search, Select All, virtual scrolling, server-search callbacks, selected-value tags, and a mobile popup mode.
- Virtualized rendering for very large option lists.
- Live search and server-search callbacks.
- Select All and option-group selection controls.
- Selected values displayed as labels or removable tags.
- Dynamic options and programmatic selection methods.
Filterable & Checkable Multi-Select Dropdown In JavaScript
This dependency-free library converts a native multiple select into a searchable checkbox dropdown and displays selected values as removable tags. It keeps configuration close to the original select through HTML attributes.
- Search field for filtering option labels.
- Select All checkbox with filtered-option behavior.
- Selected values displayed as tags.
- Maximum visible-tag controls.
- Dynamic option refresh through JavaScript.
How To Choose A Multiple Select Library
- Checkbox-heavy forms are well served by Bootstrap Multiselect, MultiSelect, Multiple Select, multi-select.js, and Filterable & Checkable Multi-Select. Tom Select also provides a checkbox-options plugin.
- Remote search and paginated data are core capabilities in Select2 and Tom Select. Virtual Select includes server-search hooks for large datasets.
- Tag-style selection and user-created values are available in Select2, Choices.js, Tom Select, Slim Select, and Virtual Select.
- Custom option templates are available in Select2, Choices.js, Tom Select, and Slim Select.
- Large option lists are a main reason to consider Virtual Select. Tom Select has a virtual-scroll plugin, and Select2 supports paginated remote results.
More Multiple Select Resources
- Find More jQuery Multiple Select Plugins
- Discover More Vanilla JavaScript Multiple Select Libraries
- 10 Best Dropdown Plugins To Replace The Native Select Box
- 10 Best Tags Input Plugins In JavaScript
- 10 Best Dual List Box Plugins In JavaScript
