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davidstutz/bootstrap-multiselect

Analysis updated 2026-07-03

★ 3,678HTMLAudience · developerComplexity · 1/5LicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

A jQuery plugin that replaces clunky multi-select dropdowns with a styled Bootstrap button and checkbox list, making it easy for visitors to pick multiple options.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((bootstrap-multiselect))
    What it does
      Replace multi-select box
      Checkbox dropdown UI
      Easier option picking
    Dependencies
      jQuery required
      Bootstrap styling
    How it works
      Wraps select element
      Styled button trigger
      Checkbox per option
    License
      Apache 2.0
      BSD 3-Clause
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Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Replace an ugly HTML multi-select box on a form with a clean dropdown that shows checkboxes for each option.

USE CASE 2

Add a multi-select filter control to an existing Bootstrap and jQuery project without changing your backend data model.

USE CASE 3

Let users pick multiple categories, tags, or filters on a web page through an intuitive checkbox dropdown.

What is it built with?

JavaScriptjQueryBootstrapHTML

How does it compare?

davidstutz/bootstrap-multiselectlewislulu/html-ppt-skillmciastek/sal
Stars3,6783,6763,692
LanguageHTMLHTMLHTML
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity1/52/51/5
Audiencedevelopervibe coderdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Requires jQuery and Bootstrap already present on the page.

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, under either the Apache 2.0 or BSD 3-Clause license.

In plain English

Bootstrap Multiselect is a jQuery plugin that replaces the standard HTML multi-select dropdown with a more user-friendly control. Normally, when a web page has a list where visitors can pick more than one option, the browser shows a plain box requiring awkward multi-click interactions. This plugin swaps that out for a styled button. Clicking the button opens a dropdown menu where each option appears with a checkbox next to it, making it much easier to select or deselect multiple items at once. The plugin is built on top of Bootstrap, the popular front-end styling toolkit, and requires jQuery to be present on the page. Because it works within those existing frameworks, it slots into projects that already use them without requiring changes to the underlying data model. The underlying HTML select element with the multiple attribute stays in place, the plugin simply gives it a better visual wrapper. The README is brief and points to an external documentation site for examples, configuration options, and frequently asked questions. The project has been available since 2012 and is licensed under both the Apache 2.0 and BSD 3-Clause licenses. The author notes they are open to others taking over active maintenance. No installation steps or code examples appear in the README itself.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to replace a standard HTML multi-select element with bootstrap-multiselect so users see a checkbox dropdown instead.
Prompt 2
How do I initialize bootstrap-multiselect with jQuery and configure it to show a 'Select All' option at the top?
Prompt 3
What Bootstrap and jQuery versions are compatible with bootstrap-multiselect, and how do I include it in an existing project?
Prompt 4
How do I read which options the user selected from a bootstrap-multiselect dropdown when the form is submitted?

Frequently asked questions

What is bootstrap-multiselect?

A jQuery plugin that replaces clunky multi-select dropdowns with a styled Bootstrap button and checkbox list, making it easy for visitors to pick multiple options.

What language is bootstrap-multiselect written in?

Mainly HTML. The stack also includes JavaScript, jQuery, Bootstrap.

What license does bootstrap-multiselect use?

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, under either the Apache 2.0 or BSD 3-Clause license.

How hard is bootstrap-multiselect to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is bootstrap-multiselect for?

Mainly developer.

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