MATLAB® Engine API for Python® enables you to call MATLAB as a computational engine. The main differences between MATLAB Engine API for Python and MATLAB Compiler SDK™ for Python are as follows:
MATLAB Engine API for Python starts a MATLAB session out-of-process, which executes MATLAB as a separate process. MATLAB Compiler SDK for Python starts MATLAB Runtime in-process.
You can use MATLAB Engine API for Python to call built-in or user-written MATLAB functions. MATLAB Compiler SDK for Python can only call user-written MATLAB functions.
For an example of calling user-written MATLAB code with MATLAB Engine API for Python, see Call User Scripts and Functions from Python.
MATLAB Engine API for Python allows you to work with a workspace, while MATLAB Compiler SDK for Python does not. Therefore you cannot call MATLAB classes (handles) with MATLAB Compiler SDK for Python.
For more information on MATLAB Engine workspace, see Use MATLAB Engine Workspace in Python.