Features & Capabilities

Open The Books is a Chrome extension that provides access to the United States Government checkbook since 2000, including contracts, grants, loans, direct payments, and farm subsidies.

It also includes seven-year salary histories for 2.2 million federal employees, state checkbooks in at least 16 states, and public salaries from 36,000 local government units. The app supports hyper-localized spending insights by GPS location, a ZIP code, or searches by vendor name or employee last name. With a state checkbook fly wheel interface and data from American Transparency, a 501(c)3 non-profit, this extension aims to increase government transparency and empower citizens to hold government accountable.

User Growth & Download Statistics

By:
American Transparency
Rating:
2.50
(88)
Version:
3.2 Last updated: 2025-09-24
Version code:
878374385
Creation date:
2011-12-19
Compatible devices:
Size:
5.91MB
URLs:
Website ,Privacy policy
Full description:
See detailed description
Source:
Apple Apps Store
Data ingested on:
2026-06-08
Compare stats and ranking:

Ranking

Contact the developer

Chrome-Stats does not own this Apple app. Please use these information below to contact the Apple app developer.
Developed by:
American Transparency
Apple Apps Store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/open-the-books/id485809631
Website:
http://www.openthebooks.com

User Reviews

Users like the idea and value the data when the app runs, but stability and currency issues dominate. Repeated freezes/crashes, startup failures, outdated state data, and UI glitches (half-folded pages, screen-fit problems) degrade the experience across iOS devices, leading to inconsistent results despite strong potential.
Pros
  • Provides useful government finance data when the app works, matching the website
  • The concept and data are valuable; users see it as a good idea with useful information
  • Has potential to be a strong mobile resource for transparency when stable
Cons
  • Frequent freezes, crashes, or becomes unresponsive, often during navigation or after input
  • Does not open on some devices or at startup (eg, iPhone 11, XR)
  • Data is outdated, with state-level information not updated for years (around 2018) and lacking regular updates
  • User interface issues such as pages folding and not fitting the screen, with content often half visible
  • Search/navigation can freeze or hang, requiring an app restart
Recent reviews
First time it said my password was not good. Second time it said my email was already being used. Duh by me! Fix this problem
by pr*****, 2025-01-08

I noticed they updated the app. Now you have to donate $$ to use the app or when your free trial is over you’re done using it. Just deleted it, buh-bye.
by Wx*****, 2022-08-23

Everything works great now and matches their website.
by Ar*****, 2022-07-18
View all user reviews ›

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