Ouest-France
France's most-read regional daily, covering national and local news across western France.
Ouest-France at a glance
Ouest-France is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in France, currently ranked #100 in the country. It was founded in 1944 by Paul Hutin-Desgrées, François-Régis Hutin and is headquartered in Rennes, France. Today Ouest-France is owned by Ouest-France Group (Association pour le soutien des principes de la démocratie humaniste). Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 110 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through subscriptions, digital advertising, print sales. Its closest rivals include lemonde.fr, lefigaro.fr, francetvinfo.fr.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 103 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 107 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 110 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 117 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct37%
- Organic search34%
- Social18%
- News aggregators8%
- Email3%
Audience & demographics
- Men55%
- Women45%
- Age 35-4426%
- Age 45-5423%
- Age 25-3422%
The audience is concentrated in France, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- France86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 33 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- France
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| ouest-france | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| breaking news | Top 10 | High | — |
| today's headlines | Top 10 | High | — |
| live coverage | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the France web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 79% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading news & media apps in France
Company information
- Website
- ouest-france.fr
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Ouest-France Group (Association pour le soutien des principes de la démocratie humaniste)
- Owner type
- Nonprofit foundation
- Founders
- Paul Hutin-Desgrées, François-Régis Hutin
- Founded
- 1944
- Headquarters
- Rennes, France
- Employees
- 2,000+
- Ownership
- Ouest-France Group (Association pour le soutien des principes de la démocratie humaniste) controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $900 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- French
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $900 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Nonprofit foundation
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Ouest-France operates a news and media publisher focused on France. France's most-read regional daily, covering national and local news across western France. Revenue comes mainly from subscriptions, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Subscriptions
- Digital advertising
- Print sales
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- France
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (France)
- #100 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in France
- Global rank
- 700
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| lemonde.fr | ≈ 66 million / month | #101 class competitor | — |
| lefigaro.fr | ≈ 49.5 million / month | #102 class competitor | — |
| francetvinfo.fr | ≈ 33 million / month | #103 class competitor | — |
What is Ouest-France?
Ouest-France (ouest-france.fr) is a news and media publisher serving users in France. France's most-read regional daily, covering national and local news across western France. It ranks #100 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns Ouest-France?
The site is operated by Ouest-France Group (Association pour le soutien des principes de la démocratie humaniste), founded by Paul Hutin-Desgrées, François-Régis Hutin. The company was established in 1944 and is headquartered in Rennes, France. It employs around 2,000+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Ouest-France at roughly 110 million visits per month, about 3.7 million per day. Around 79% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 3.1 pages per visit with an average session of 3 min.
How Ouest-France makes money
Revenue comes primarily from subscriptions, alongside digital advertising, print sales.
Competitors in France
Its closest rivals include lemonde.fr, lefigaro.fr, francetvinfo.fr.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 1944
Ouest-France is founded in Rennes, France.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #100 among the most visited websites in France.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Broad daily news coverage with national reach
- Fast breaking-news publishing
- Free access to most articles
- Strong presence in search and social
Cons
- Heavy advertising load on article pages
- Editorial line criticised by parts of the audience
- Clickbait headlines on high-traffic sections
- Paywall limits on premium content
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Ouest-France?
Ouest-France is operated by Ouest-France Group (Association pour le soutien des principes de la démocratie humaniste). Nonprofit foundation structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Ouest-France headquartered?
Ouest-France is headquartered in Rennes, France.
When was Ouest-France founded?
Ouest-France was founded in 1944 by Paul Hutin-Desgrées, François-Régis Hutin.
How many employees does Ouest-France have?
Ouest-France employs approximately 2,000+ people.
What is Ouest-France's revenue?
Ouest-France's revenue: ≈ $900 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are Ouest-France's competitors?
Main competitors in France include lemonde.fr, lefigaro.fr, francetvinfo.fr.
How does Ouest-France make money?
Mainly subscriptions, digital advertising, print sales.
Is Ouest-France publicly traded?
No — Ouest-France is not listed as an independent public company; it is operated by Ouest-France Group (Association pour le soutien des principes de la démocratie humaniste).
How many visitors does Ouest-France get?
Third-party estimates place Ouest-France at roughly 110 million visits per month, mostly from France, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is Ouest-France safe?
Ouest-France is an established news & media site founded in 1944 and ranked #100 in France; use the official domain ouest-france.fr and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementsouest-france.fr
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageFrance and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos