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MATLAB Drive is MathWorks’ cloud storage for MATLAB files. This page is for researchers and analysts who need to know how much it holds, what happens when it fills up, what the desktop Connector can and cannot sync, and how to write file paths that run in both desktop MATLAB and MATLAB Online.
What is MATLAB Drive?
MATLAB Drive is a common cloud-based storage location for your MATLAB files, provided by MathWorks. Files saved there are reachable from MATLAB Online, from the MATLAB Drive web interface and from MATLAB Mobile, and, through the MATLAB Connector utility, from a folder on your own computer. You can also share a folder with other people, who need only a MathWorks Account, with edit or view-only access.
Is MATLAB Drive free?
Yes, up to a limit. Anyone with a MathWorks Account has a 5 GB storage quota. With a MATLAB license that is current on Software Maintenance Service, the quota is 20 GB. These are the quotas MathWorks documents; this page does not cover prices or plan terms beyond them.
Storage quota at a glance
| Item | What MathWorks documents |
|---|---|
| Account quota | 5 GB for anyone with a MathWorks Account |
| Licensed quota | 20 GB when your MATLAB license is current on Software Maintenance Service |
| Over quota | You cannot save, upload, move, rename, or create files or folders |
| Deleted Files | Items there do not count toward your quota, but restoring an item needs free space |
| Deleted Files quota | Its own quota, equal in size to your MATLAB Drive quota; when exceeded, the oldest items are removed automatically and the deletion is permanent |
The practical consequence for research workflows: an over-quota drive blocks saving, so a long-running script that writes results into MATLAB Drive can fail when the quota is reached. Check usage before large output runs. Do not treat Deleted Files as a backup, because it has its own cap and removes the oldest items permanently.
What is the MATLAB Connector?
MATLAB Connector is a desktop utility that lets you manage the contents of your MATLAB Drive on your computer. It does not require MATLAB itself, and if MATLAB is installed it integrates with R2017a onwards. Its documented settings are reached from the Settings button at the bottom left:
- Start MATLAB Connector at system startup (an option).
- Notifications: All, Recommended (errors and conflicts only), or Off.
- Name and email are edited on mathworks.com, not in the Connector.
Connector constraints to plan around
- The folder location is specified when you install MATLAB Connector and cannot be changed once set, so choose it deliberately.
- Unsupported: folders on a network drive, read-only or restricted folders, and folders already synced by another application.
How do I access my MATLAB Drive?
There are four documented routes: MATLAB Online, the MATLAB Drive web interface (the product page links to it), MATLAB Mobile, and the synced folder created by MATLAB Connector on your computer. The sign-in entry point is on the MATLAB Drive product page at mathworks.com/products/matlab-drive.html. Sign-in is with your MathWorks Account.
How do I specify a path to a file in MATLAB Drive?
Use the matlabdrive function (introduced in R2021a), which returns the path to the root folder of your MATLAB Drive, and combine it with fullfile:
md = fullfile(matlabdrive,'myfolder','myfunction.m')
cd(matlabdrive)On a desktop the first line returns something like C:\Users\username\MATLAB Drive\myfolder\myfunction.m. The function also runs in other MATLAB environments such as MATLAB Online. On a desktop, MATLAB Connector must be installed, running and correctly configured, otherwise matlabdrive returns an error; it also errors if MATLAB cannot find the folder, and on a MATLAB Parallel Server cluster provisioned through Cloud Center unless it is a personal cluster with a dedicated head node.
Building paths with fullfile rather than typing separators matters for portability. An accepted reply on MATLAB Answers states that MATLAB Online is Linux based and its directory separator is /, not \. A script that hard-codes a Windows path will not run there, which undermines reproducibility; for the wider picture see reproducibility infrastructure for workflows, containers and code sharing.
Strengths and limits
| Strength | Limit |
|---|---|
| Same files across MATLAB Online, web, Mobile and desktop | 5 GB or 20 GB quota; saving blocked over quota |
| Folder sharing with edit or view-only access; collaborators need only a MathWorks Account | Connector folder fixed at install; no network drives, read-only or already-synced folders |
| Deleted Files lets you restore removed items | Deleted Files has its own capped quota with permanent oldest-first removal |
If your research data plan requires specific storage, retention or backup terms, check them against your data management plan before relying on MATLAB Drive for primary copies; the MathWorks pages cited below do not state retention or compliance terms.
Is MATLAB still relevant in 2026?
MathWorks’ documentation is current: the matlabdrive reference page covers release R2026b, and MATLAB Drive remains part of the product line. This page does not rank MATLAB against other tools. For what MATLAB is used for in research and how to get started, see What Is MATLAB Used For?, and for a language basic, Loops in MATLAB.
FAQ
What is the MATLAB drive?
MathWorks’ cloud storage location for MATLAB files, usable from MATLAB Online, the web, MATLAB Mobile and a synced desktop folder.
Is MATLAB Drive free?
It includes 5 GB for any MathWorks Account, and 20 GB with a license current on Software Maintenance Service.
How do I access my MATLAB drive?
Through MATLAB Online, the MATLAB Drive web interface, MATLAB Mobile, or the folder created by MATLAB Connector. The sign-in is linked from the MathWorks MATLAB Drive product page.
Does MATLAB Drive need MATLAB installed?
MATLAB Connector does not require MATLAB; it integrates with MATLAB R2017a onwards if installed.
Sources
- MathWorks, MATLAB Drive (https://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab-drive.html), checked 2026-11-07.
- MathWorks, MATLAB Drive settings (https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_env/customize-settings.html), checked 2026-11-07.
- MathWorks, matlabdrive function reference (https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/matlabdrive.html), checked 2026-11-07.
- MATLAB Answers, How to specify a path to a file in MATLAB Drive when using MATLAB Online (https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/736732), checked 2026-11-07.
