Head-to-head comparison
International Podcast Day vs Podfest Expo
Two of the resources tools podcasters reach for. Here's how they differ on pricing, features, audience, and the trade-offs that actually matter day-to-day.
Annual September 30th celebration with virtual sessions and global podcaster meetups.
Best for: Annual community event
Longest-running annual in-person podcasting conference, held each January in Orlando.
Best for: Indie podcaster conference
At a glance
The honest trade-offs
International Podcast Day
Pros
- Genuinely global participation
- Free virtual sessions
- Good for cross-promotion via the hashtag
Watch-outs
- One day a year
- Less programming than commercial events
- Site updates slowly between editions
Podfest Expo
Pros
- Indie and beginner friendly
- Lower pass cost than competitors
- 12 years of continuous programming
Watch-outs
- Less industry deal-making than Podcast Movement
- Orlando travel not ideal for everyone
- Brand sponsorship leans podcasting-vendor
Which one should you pick?
Pick International Podcast Day if
You’re building around annual community event. The loose, decentralized annual celebration of podcasting on September 30. Started in 2014 by Steve Lee.
Pick Podfest Expo if
You’re building around indie podcaster conference. Friendlier and more accessible than Podcast Movement, with a strong indie creator base and lower price point. The 2026 edition ran January 15-18 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld — its 12th annual event and the longest-running annual in-person podcasting conference in the world.
Also worth comparing
Frequently asked
What does International Podcast Day do better than Podfest Expo?
International Podcast Day's standout is "Genuinely global participation". Podfest Expo doesn't make that promise — it leans into "Indie and beginner friendly" instead. If the first sentence describes your workflow, pick International Podcast Day; if the second does, pick Podfest Expo.
What are the trade-offs?
International Podcast Day: one day a year. Podfest Expo: less industry deal-making than podcast movement. Whether either matters depends entirely on what you actually need — neither is a deal-breaker by itself.
Can I use International Podcast Day and Podfest Expo together?
Both are resources tools so most teams pick one. Some workflows do combine them — for example, using International Podcast Day for one show or episode type and Podfest Expo for another. Worth trying both free tiers before committing.