matlabengine

MATLAB Engine API for Python

The MATLAB® Engine API for Python® provides a package to integrate MATLAB functionality directly with a Python application, creating an interface to call functions from your MATLAB installation from Python code.

Requirements

Required MathWorks Products

• MATLAB release R2025a

Required 3rd Party Products

• Python 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, or 3.12
  • Supported Python versions by MATLAB release can be found here.

Install

Windows

MATLAB Engine API for Python can be installed directly from the Python Package Index.

$ python -m pip install matlabengine==25.1.2

Linux®

Prior to installation, check the default install location of MATLAB by calling matlabroot in a MATLAB Command Window. By default, Linux installs MATLAB at:

/usr/local/MATLAB/R2025a

When MATLAB is not installed in the default location, the bin/architecture directory within the MATLAB root directory must be added to the environment variable LD_LIBRARY_PATH. The path can be added to the environment variable within the shell startup configuration file (for example, .bashrc for bash shell or .tcshrc for tcsh).

# in .bashrc
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:<matlabroot>/bin/glnxa64

# in .tcshrc
setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH ${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}:<matlabroot>/bin/glnxa64

MATLAB Engine API for Python can be installed directly from the Python Package Index.

$ python -m pip install matlabengine==25.1.2

macOS

Prior to installation, check the default install location of MATLAB by calling matlabroot in a MATLAB Command Window. By default, macOS installs MATLAB at:

/Applications/MATLAB_R2025a.app

When MATLAB is not installed in the default location, the bin/architecture directory within the MATLAB root directory must be added to the environment variable DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH. The path can be added to the environment variable within the shell startup configuration file (for example, .bashrc for bash shell or .tcshrc for tcsh).

# in .bashrc
export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=$DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH:<matlabroot>/bin/maci64

# in .tcshrc
setenv DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH ${DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH}:<matlabroot>/bin/maci64

MATLAB Engine API for Python can be installed directly from the Python Package Index.

$ python -m pip install matlabengine==25.1.2

Getting Started

• Start Python.
• Import the matlab.engine package into the Python session.
• Start a new MATLAB process by calling start_matlab. The start_matlab function returns a Python object which enables you to pass data and call functions executed by MATLAB.

>>> import matlab.engine
>>> eng = matlab.engine.start_matlab()
>>> eng.sqrt(4.0)
2.0

• Call either the exit or quit function to stop the engine. Exiting Python with an engine running stops the engine and its MATLAB processes.

>>> eng.quit()

See Start and Stop MATLAB Engine for Python for advanced startup examples.

Examples

You can call any MATLAB function directly and return the results to Python.

>>> eng.plus(2, 3)
5
>>> eng.isprime(37)
True
>>> eng.gcd(100.0, 80.0, nargout=3)
(20.0, 1.0, -1.0)

See Call MATLAB Functions from Python for more usage examples.

Limitations

Limitations of the MATLAB Engine API for Python can be found here.

Troubleshooting

See Troubleshoot MATLAB Errors in Python for troubleshooting assistance.

License

The license is available in the LICENSE.txt file within this repository.

Support

Technical issues or enhancement requests can be submitted here.

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