MATLAB Licensing: License Types, Perpetual vs Annual, and the license Command

Who this is for: researchers, analysts and students who need to know which MATLAB license they may use, whether it lapses, and how to check what their installation holds. Facts below come from MathWorks’ pricing and licensing page and its license function documentation (R2026b), read 2026-11-07. No prices are quoted; MathWorks sets and changes them.

What it is used for in research

MATLAB is numerical computing software used for analysis, modelling and visualisation; see what MATLAB is used for. The license you hold determines which of those uses you are permitted.

What MATLAB licensing covers

A MATLAB license is defined by two independent choices: the intended use (who you are and where you work) and the term (annual or perpetual). MathWorks lists five intended-use categories (Standard, Startups, Academic, Student, Home) and two terms (Annual, Perpetual). For what the software does, see what MATLAB is used for; for the install itself, see MATLAB installation.

MATLAB license types

Intended use	MathWorks wording
Standard	For use at a commercial, government, or other organization.
Startups	For use at approved early-stage companies.
Academic	For use in teaching and academic research at a degree-granting institute.
Student	For use in conjunction with courses offered at a degree-granting institution.
Home	For personal use only; MathWorks excludes use by government, schools, businesses and other organizations.

The practical consequence for a researcher: the Home category is for personal use only and excludes organizational use, so it is not a substitute for the license that covers your institution or employer. The Academic category is the one MathWorks describes for teaching and academic research at a degree-granting institute.

Annual vs perpetual: is there a permanent MATLAB license?

Yes. MathWorks offers a Perpetual term, which it describes as the right to use the software indefinitely, with the first year of Software Maintenance Service included in the initial purchase price. The Annual term gives the right to use the software for a 12-month period, with maintenance included in the annual fee. Which terms are offered for which intended-use category is shown on the live pricing page and can change, so confirm it there before you plan around it.

	Annual	Perpetual
Right to use	12-month period	Indefinitely
Maintenance	Included in the annual fee	First year included in the purchase price

Is the MATLAB license free?

MATLAB is commercial software. MathWorks offers free trials, and sells the Student license through its own store. Its student page says that if your school has campus-wide access you may be able to use MATLAB at no cost to you; check with your institution. Your employer may likewise hold a license you can use under its terms. These are separate arrangements from a free license. If you need a no-cost tool, see the alternatives below.

Install or access

Installation steps are in MATLAB installation. Access comes through a license from MathWorks, a trial, or an institution or employer that holds one.

Step-by-step task: check your license

1. Open MATLAB and go to the Command Window.
2. Run license to see the license number (it can be 'demo' or 'student').
3. Run license('inuse') to list the products currently in use.
4. Run status = license('test', feature) for the feature you need, using a name from the INCREMENT lines in your license file.
5. Run [status, errmsg] = license('checkout', feature) to confirm a seat is actually available.

Output and how to read it

MATLAB’s built-in license function reports what your installation holds. Per the R2026b documentation:

• license returns the license number; it can be 'demo' or 'student'.
• license('inuse') lists the products currently in use; S = license('inuse', feature) returns the information for one feature.
• status = license('test', feature) returns 1 if a license for the feature exists.
• [status, errmsg] = license('checkout', feature) attempts a real checkout and returns the error message on failure.

Feature names are case-insensitive, and valid names are the INCREMENT lines in your license file. Since R2023a the user field is always empty; use getenv('USERNAME') for the user name.

Reading status 1 correctly. MathWorks warns that if all the keys of a license are in use, test still returns 1, but a real checkout will fail. So test answers “does a license exist?”, not “can I get a seat now?”; use checkout for the second question.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	What the documentation supports
license('test', ...) returns 1 but a toolbox will not start	All keys may be in use; test still returns 1 while a real checkout fails. Run license('checkout', feature) and read errmsg.
Feature name not recognised	Valid names are the INCREMENT lines in your license file.
User name empty	Expected since R2023a; use getenv('USERNAME').

Free alternatives

Tool	What its own site says	More
GNU Octave	Syntax largely compatible with MATLAB; free software licensed under the GNU General Public License (octave.org, read 2026-11-07).
R	A separate language; see our overview.	What R is used for; MATLAB vs R

FAQ

Is the MATLAB licence free?

MATLAB is commercial software, but free trials exist, and MathWorks says campus-wide access at your school may let you use it at no cost to you. Check with your institution. The Home category is for personal use only.

Is MATLAB being phased out?

The MathWorks pages read for this guide describe current licensing and an R2026b release of the documentation; they do not announce a discontinuation.

Is there a permanent license for MATLAB?

Yes: the Perpetual term gives the right to use the software indefinitely, with the first year of maintenance included.

Why is MATLAB so expensive?

MathWorks does not publish a rationale on the pages read, so this guide does not speculate. Check whether your institution holds a license, and see the free alternatives above.

Sources

• MathWorks, Pricing and Licensing, read 2026-11-07.
• MathWorks, license: Get license status, test existence of license, or check out license (R2026b), read 2026-11-07.
• GNU Octave, octave.org, read 2026-11-07.