---
title: "France Web Market Overview"
date: 2006-09-18
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2006"
    url: "/tag/2006.md"
---

# France Web Market Overview

![france](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751im_/http://static.flickr.com/96/246435501_c27eccf820_m.jpg)Next in our series on international Web markets is France. Other countries profiled so far have been [Germany](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_ten_german.php), [Holland](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_dutch_web_2.php), [Poland](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_polish_webapps.php), [Korea](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_korean_webapps.php), [United Kingdom](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_uk_web_20_apps.php), [Russia](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_russian_web_apps.php), [Spain](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_spanish_web_apps.php), [China](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_web_apps_china.php), [Turkey](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_web_apps_turkey.php), [Italy](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_italian_web_apps.php) and [Brazil](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_web_apps_in_brazil.php). France has the 9th highest number of Internet users in the world, with 26.8 million. It has an Internet penetration of 44%, putting it below countries like the US, UK and Germany (all of which are over 60%). But France is similar to its neighbors Italy and Spain, which are both in the 40-50% range for Internet penetration. Perhaps more significant is the number of French language speakers on the Web, which is estimated to be 4.4% of all Internet users – or 45.8 Million. However that’s only an estimated 12% of all French speakers, so there is plenty of room for growth there.

My thanks to [Thomas Ezan](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://sidzpad.canalblog.com/) and [Jean-Pierre Christie](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://blog.oresme.com/) for the information in this post. Both kindly sent me details about the French Web market and its most popular apps.

## Overview of French Market

When I think of France and the Web, I think of [Netvibes](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.netvibes.com/) (the Personalized Start Page used by 5 million people according to [recent reports](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/netvibes_claims_5million_users.php)), [Kelkoo](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.kelkoo.com/) (the price comparison engine sold to yahoo), and [Jeff Clavier](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://blog.softtechvc.com/) (not a web app, but a French angel investor!). But obviously there is much more to the French Web, so I asked Thomas to tell me more…

**R/WW: Do most people use French web apps/sites instead of the US ones?**

Thomas: Not really, except for news websites. For example newspaper websites like [LeMonde](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.lemonde.fr/), [Liberation](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.liberation.fr/) and [LeFigaro](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.lefigaro.fr/). There are also many internet and IT-focused websites like [01net](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://01net.com/). All of those sites are in french. The typical french person is not used to reading or talking in english, unlike in Germany, Netherlands and the nordic countries. There is also french version of [Techcrunch](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://techcrunch.fr/).

**R/WW: Do the big companies have French language versions of their products? (Google, Yahoo, Microsoft etc)**

Thomas: Google is the number 1 website in France and the other big companies like msn, yahoo are also very well used in France. For example their email services are well used. They all have a french version (which they must do to target the french market). MSN Messenger is the number 1 IM service (AIM is not very well used here). The french versions of amazon and eBay are also very famous here.

**R/WW: What are the biggest Web companies in France?**

Thomas: I’m not sure, but [meetic](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.meetic.fr/) is number 1 as far as turnover is concerned (it’s a dating site). And it’s started to spread around Europe. There is also [priceminister](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.priceminister.com/) and [2xmoinscher](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.2xmoinscher.com/), were people can sells second-hand stuffs (it’s a kind of eBay without the auction concept).

The biggest e-shops are [Cdiscount.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://cdiscount.com/) and [Rueducommerce](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://rueducommerce.com/), were you can find anything (buying on the internet is now common in france, even for my mother!). [Lastminute.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://lastminute.com/) is the number 1 travel site. There is also [kelkoo](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://kelkoo.fr/), a “price comparer” created by Pierre Chappaz and sold to Yahoo for millions.

## Thomas’ Top Web Apps

[Zlio](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://zlio.com/): a kind of Loomia or MyPickList, which goes further in enabling you to create your own shop online ([here is mine](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://sidney.blogasin.com/)). Thus it’s a “smart clone”, by cloning and then innovating further… isn’t it innovation ? 😉 *\[Richard: yes, definitely!\]*

[Wikio](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.wikio.fr/): made by the ex-ceo and founder of [kelkoo.](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://kelkkoo.fr/) It’s a kind of digg-like in french, with many technical and financial features. Chappaz is a “VIP” in the “net-economie”, with a weekly tribune in liberation, a big french newspaper – so there’s been a lot of buzz on wikio.

[LaFraise](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://lafraise.com/): created by a guy from Ubisoft, it’s a clone of [threadless](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.threadless.com/) but it’s taking over and becoming international. Personaly I prefer lafraise to threadless, which doesn’t have the same “graphical spirit”.

[Podemus:](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://podemus.com/) a podcasting reference founded by Bertrand Lenotre, it could be compared to odeo but it includes video.

## Jean-Pierre’s List of French Web Apps

**Digg Clones**

[http://www.wikio.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.wikio.fr/): the main french digg clone (see above)

[http://www.scoopeo.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.scoopeo.com/): another french language digg clone \[**update:** Scoopeo is from Belgium, not France\]

[http://fuzz.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://fuzz.fr/): digg clone

**Photos and Videos**

[http://www.fotolia.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.fotolia.fr/): photo site

[http://www.dailymotion.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.dailymotion.com/): watching/publishing/sharing videos

[http://www.criteo.com/films.aspx](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.criteo.com/films.aspx): films and videos

[http://www.eyeka.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.eyeka.com/): photo and video sharing

[http://www.kewego.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.kewego.fr/): video sharing

[http://www.skema.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.skema.fr/): video solutions

[http://www.atafoto.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.atafoto.com/): online shared photo book

**Social Networks / Blogs / Bookmarking**

[http://www.6nergies.net/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.6nergies.net/): professional social network

[http://www.linkedfeed.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.linkedfeed.com/): automated and customizable information social network

[http://www.yoono.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.yoono.com/): rss reader/integrated social book marking

[http://www.widiwici.com/index.php](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.widiwici.com/index.php): Sport exploits, information sharing, challenges

[http://www.blogspirit.com/fr/index.php](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.blogspirit.com/fr/index.php): professional online blogs service

[http://www.agoravox.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.agoravox.fr/): citizen media

**Misc**

[http://www.i-maginer.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.i-maginer.fr/): real-time 3D web services

[http://www.netvibes.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.netvibes.com/): personalized start page

[http://www.kartoo.com/flash.php3](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.kartoo.com/flash.php3): meta search engine

[http://www.zlio.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.zlio.com/): « tupperware » like website (see above)

[http://www.uneinvitation.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.uneinvitation.com/): leisure organization platform

[http://www.jamendo.com/fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.jamendo.com/fr/): music online

[http://blog.moovement.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://blog.moovement.com/): jobs

[http://www.bluekiwi.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.bluekiwi.fr/): intranet solution?

**Top visited French specific websites**

[http://orange.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://orange.fr/): top french telecom provider’s website

[http://free.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://free.fr/): second-placed telecom provider’s website

[http://www.voila.fr/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.voila.fr/): dating, chat website

[http://www.mappy.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.mappy.com/): road and travel guide

[http://www.fnac.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.fnac.com/): big French ebusiness website

[http://www.boursorama.com/](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.boursorama.com/): first stock exchange website

[http://www.skyrock.com/front/index.php](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.skyrock.com/front/index.php): Skyrock radio’s website

## Summary

As always, please leave a comment if we’ve missed something or you have more information about the French Web market. Thanks again to Thomas and Jean-Pierre for the details in this post!

**Update:** based on comments below, here are some additions. Apologies to those we missed out first time round…

- I completely forgot that Personalized Start Page [Webwag](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.webwag.com/) is French, even though [I profiled it](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/webwag.php) recently!
- [skyblog.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://skyblog.com/), the largest “blog” and social network in France currently (thanks ouriel from Techcrunch France, who also pointed to their [special tag](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://fr.techcrunch.com/tag/Web2.0fr/) for French web apps.
- [http://wecheese.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://wecheese.com/), another social network (thanks [Paul Monnet](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://quoi2neuf.com/))
- [vpod.tv](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://vpod.tv/) (video sharing), [viaduc](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.viaduc.com/) (french LinkedIn), [photoways](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.photoways.com/) (photo printing and related services) — via [Jeff Clavier](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://blog.softtechvc.com/)
- [http://www.xwiki.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.xwiki.com/) (Collaborative Intranets / Wiki solutions)
- [http://www.geoportail.fr](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.geoportail.fr/) (A kind of Google Earth)
- [http://v3d.pagesjaunes.fr](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://v3d.pagesjaunes.fr/) (2 french cities – Paris & Rennes – in 3D)
- French Search Engines: [http://www.kartoo.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.kartoo.com/) and [http://www.exalead.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.exalead.com/) — all these suggested by [Ronan / Business Garden](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.business-garden.com/)
- [http://www.xfruits.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.xfruits.com/) (RSS service)
- [http://www.blogmemes.fr](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.blogmemes.fr/) (digg-like in an international network)
- [http://www.framasoft.net](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.framasoft.net/) (open source directory) — thanks Clea
- [http://www.visualkit.com.](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.visualkit.com./) — thks Laure
- [JobMeeters](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.jobmeeters.com/) — thks [Julien](https://web.archive.org/web/20110624065751/http://www.julienandre.com/)

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/france_web_market.php))*