Which one is better the Caro-Can or the French defense

Both excellent of course.It might be worth mentioning that the Caro-Kann is probably considered more reliable than the French at the highest level and therefore employed more often by Top players.Capa considered ..1..c6 the best reply to white's e4 by the way.

Sicilian!

The French as your pawns are able to retreat

I don't like either. On e4 play Sicilian and on d4 play d5

The one you understand better and fits the best by your playing style. Both are good openings that are played for many years.

I prefer the French, as the Caro always seems to lead to very low-contact positions where I have no idea what to do.

Ive played both extensivly OTB and the Caro Kann is superior to the French, if for the very reason that you have nothing as boring and stale as the Exhange French in the Caro Kann!

I have played the french for decades and against the caro kann for decades as well . I have played the CK as black a few years but it didnt suit me as well as the french . In my own practice I found that I win , and lose more with the french than with the CK but the % of draws is much higher with the CK . Database stats I have looked at pretty much paint the same picture as my personal experience . 

actually i hate both caro and french

What do you think CK stands for ?  

Louis CK?

caro kan?

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 and White is just starting an exciting attack!

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. c4 and White is desperately trying to not let the game drift into oblivion.

I asked a strong player in my area about this a year ago and his opinion was that if you play the Caro-Kann "play as tough opponents as you can. They will help refine your understanding of {the Caro-Kann} and the only way you'll {gain rating points} is by drawing them often. The French is where you can usually play for the win with the ability to draw as desired." Seems to be correct as Reb and others have said.

Caro is a tough nut to crack, especially the mainline.

Against French, i like both KIA and 3Nc3, and I don't find French so tough as I play French myself.

Against Caro, i don't know any sharp openings to make my opponet uncomfortable from the beginning.  KIA does not work well against Caro. 

Lately, I have been playing panov botvinnik attack.  I think that's the best weapon against Caro. 

As far as making your opponent uncomfortable in the Caro Kann, try playing 3. f3, the Fantasy Variation.  It's perfectly sound and a lot of fun to play, especially when they capture on e4.

French is more combative, Caro is harder to crack. Matter of choice. Many players play both, like Var Akobian and Yasser Seirawan (when he was still playing).

I don't believe that at all. Both can be played for the win, and both can be played as fortress defenses. 

There's no correct answer to the question. It all depends on the player using the opening. The Caro generally allows more fluid piece development, especially the LSB, but the French gives a more direct counter-attack with pawns, especially c5 and f6.

To a large extent, it's a matter of taste. I'd recommend the French to novices before the Caro-Kann. As Karpov said, in order to play the Caro-Kann well, one must be able to play 15 defensive moves in a row in order to reach a tenable position. 

Yup.

The French is noble; the Caro-Kann was invented by the Evil One. If you are playing White, you should favor the French. Black may favor the Caro-Kann.

I play the French as Black. I tried the Caro-Kann in a tournament game and lost in 20 moves. You can see the game at GeniusKJ's coaching profile. I saw his rook sacrifice, but overlooked the subsequent knight sacrifice that left my king naked and exposed.