Which carriers matter, what buying a SIM involves, and when an eSIM is the smarter move.
Reliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
Paraguayan prepaid SIMs can only receive international calls, not make them, so plan on WhatsApp or another internet calling app; conveniently, Paraguay basically runs on WhatsApp anyway. There is no roaming, so the SIM stops working across the border, which matters if you are combining Paraguay with Argentina or Brazil. Keep your home SIM active for banking 2FA, ideally in a dual-SIM setup, and use the Tigo app for balance checks, since checks beyond the first two per day cost a small fee.
Market leader with strong 4G in Asuncion and the countryside; its Tigo Money wallet is handy before you have a local bank account.
Competitive pricing on a solid, wide-reaching network; some rate its speeds ahead of Tigo, so either is a safe pick.
Cheapest of the big names but noticeably weaker outside Asuncion; not the one for a road trip.
The smallest operator, with decent coverage at lower prices than Tigo.
You show a valid passport at the point of sale, complete a form from CONATEL (the telecoms regulator) and give a fingerprint; no residency is needed and the whole process takes a few minutes. Claro charges a separate registration fee of about 10,000 PYG (roughly $1.50) on top of the SIM.
Small. Airport kiosks charge slightly more than city retail, but with SIMs under $1.50 and a month of data costing a few dollars, the absolute difference barely matters.
Guac eSIM covers Paraguay with data plans starting from $1.50 per GB and instant activation, so your phone is online the moment you land. Airalo and Holafly are popular alternatives.
SIM cards and eSIM in Paraguay