In recent years, digital reading has been growing very rapidly in France. Facing foreign players like Amazon and Kobo, there's a French company offering e-readers and ebooks in the spirit of "made in France": Vivlio.
So now is the time to shine a spotlight on Vivlio e-readers, as well as its ebook and audiobook store, which is also available through some French booksellers!
Vivlio: A Truly French Company
In the digital reading landscape, France is an exception!
Indeed, we have two local companies offering e-readers in our country: Paperslate and Vivlio. While Paperslate is a very recent startup, Vivlio has been well-established for many years.
Furthermore, outside of China, it's quite unusual for two digital reading players to share a market in their own country.
Vivlio is based in Lyon, France. It was founded in 2011. It was initially called TEA (for "The Ebook Alternative") and changed its name in 2019. It has sold many e-reader models and launched its digital bookstore in 2018.
Vivlio designs its e-readers in partnership with the European company Pocketbook, using software adapted to French specifics (digital book library – ebooks – with titles in French).
They prioritize the quality of their hardware and services tailored for French users, including:
- e-readers with black and white or color e-ink screens, at different price points and featuring the latest innovations
- ebooks available in the digital bookstore
- audiobooks available in the digital bookstore
Vivlio thus offers an "all-in-one" service for comfortably reading digital books without having to rely on major global digital players like Amazon (Kindle), Rakuten (Kobo), or Apple (iPad).
Vivlio's Vision to Fight GAFAM's Hegemony
Picture: some Vivlio e-reader available in France in 2025
Vivlio is led by David Dupré, who decided to speak about his vision for digital reading on the occasion of International Book and Copyright Day (April 23, 2025 in France).
As such, Vivlio is already present in several hundred points of sale across Europe and supplies retailers like Cultura, Decitre, Furet du Nord, Leclerc, Système U in France, Standaard Boekhandel in Belgium, Casa del Libro in Spain, and the EKZ group in Germany.
The strategy is therefore completely different from that of Kindle or Kobo (even though, exceptionally, Kobo is available in Fnac stores in France), which rely almost entirely on online sales.
David Dupré presents it this way:
"Counter to the GAFAM trend, and rather than bypassing booksellers, we directly provide them with a brand (Vivlio) and digital tools (e-readers, apps, ebook and audiobook catalogs) so they can compete on equal footing against these foreign platforms with hegemonic ambitions. By preserving their booksellers' digital independence, our model allows cultural distributors and booksellers to maintain their relationship with their customers and capture the revenue generated by the sale of digital books."
The future of digital reading, e-readers, and ebooks therefore lies with bookstores, which also have a role to play in building customer loyalty by offering digital reading devices.
Especially since the financial stake is significant, as Mr. Dupré emphasizes:
"With over 10% of publishers' total revenue in 2024 (source: French National Syndicate of Publishing), digital books represent a significant share of the book market. Yet, the overwhelming majority of ebook sales in France enrich multinational companies located outside the European Union: Amazon, Apple, Kobo, and Google capture a major share of the revenue, to the detriment of local players."
"This is a paradox, given that France has always defended the exception of its cultural model and that questions of technological and economic sovereignty are more relevant than ever in Europe."
"Whereas, in physical bookstores, the French ecosystem preserves its uniqueness, it's estimated to represent only 5% of the market digitally. With Kindle, the American giant Amazon alone is estimated to capture over 50% of digital book sales in France. This dominance comes at a cost: the digital publishing market in France was worth 283 million euros in 2023. The lost revenue for French companies is colossal."
Vivlio therefore works hand in hand with bookstores to help them also fight against the rising power of the GAFAM companies, which are gradually gaining more market share.
Are the E-readers Truly "Made in France"?
While we can talk about them being French brands, the e-readers are not entirely "made in France". Indeed, for technical reasons (which I will detail later), the e-readers cannot be assembled in France.
Here are the reasons:
- The e-ink screens are supplied by the company E Ink. There is only one supplier because the technology is protected by a patent. The screens are manufactured in China.
- Components like the processor, storage memory, and touch layer are manufactured in Asia.
These two points alone make manufacturing in France difficult: there are only a few factories in the world with the expertise to assemble e-ink screens. And today, 100% of global e-reader production, across all brands, is manufactured in Asia (like smartphones and tablets).
While the e-readers are not French-made, there is one area where these devices significantly stand out from Kindle or Kobo: the ebook stores.
The software that manages these stores is well-designed within the Vivlio company, unlike Amazon (most of whose software is designed in the United States) and Kobo (Canada and Japan – via the company Rakuten).
Distinctly French E-readers
So, even if not everything is "made in France", the Vivlio brand offers reading devices designed BY and FOR French readers.
In 2025, they are offering five of the best e-readers in France. I was able to review these models on my French YouTube channel – but you can watch the videos with automatic English subtitles or simply explore the e-reader features without listening to my French commentary.
Vivlio Light Review (Equivalent to the Pocketbook Verse):
Vivlio Light HD Review (Equivalent to the Pocketbook Verse Pro):
Vivlio Light HD Color Review (Equivalent to the Pocketbook Verse Pro Color):
Vivlio InkPad 4 Review (Equivalent to the Pocketbook InkPad 4):
The Vivlio brand has also released its new Vivlio InkPad Color 3.
Note: These e-readers are enticing, and at times, you can purchase them for less than Pocketbook e-readers by using second-hand sites or taking advantage of the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar.
However, you would do well to consider a Pocketbook e-reader if the features of Vivlio devices interest you.
Official Website: Vilvio.com
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You might also like:
- The Paperslate and Paperslate Pro: France's New E-Readers (Available Now!) (December 2, 2024)
- Vivlio InkPad Color 3: The Large Screen Color E-Reader Finally Available in France (August 30, 2024)
- Bookeen Notéa: the e-reader from France soon available again! (May 1, 2023)
- Why Pocketbook E-Readers Are Banned in France? (December 9, 2024)
