jQuery is a fast, small, and feature-rich JavaScript library that simplifies the client-side scripting of HTML. Originally released in 2006, it's designed to make tasks like DOM manipulation, event handling, animation, and AJAX much easier with an intuitive API that works across a multitude of browsers, mitigating cross-browser compatibility issues. For application developers, jQuery provides a powerful set of tools that can dramatically enhance front-end development, allowing for rapid prototyping and ease in implementing complex features with minimal code. Although its usage has declined with the rise of modern JavaScript frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js, jQuery remains prevalent for projects that require quick enhancements to web pages without building an extensive framework. It also benefits from a vast ecosystem of plugins that further extend its capabilities beyond its core functions.

View the most prominent open source jQuery projects in the list below. Click on a specific project to view its alternative or complementary packages.