MATLAB is huge. A full installation with common toolboxes can exceed 20GB. The default installer tries to download everything available to your license.
How to be smart about it:
Before you click download, you need to understand MathWorks' release cycle. They release two versions every year: matlab 2023 download
Recommendation: If you are starting a new project, download R2023b. It is generally more stable. If you are collaborating on an existing project, ask your team which version they are using to ensure code compatibility. MATLAB is huge
Because MATLAB modifies system paths and writes to the registry, aggressive antivirus software (like BitDefender or McAfee) sometimes blocks the installer. Before you click download, you need to understand
No. After activation, it works entirely offline (except for Add-On Explorer and online documentation).
This is the standard method for most users.