<p>Yerba mate (<i>Ilex paraguariensis</i> A.St.-Hil.) is a crop of significant economic importance, especially for farmers in southern Brazil. Despite advances in yerba mate cultivation, there is a lack of studies on soil physical quality, mainly about the effects of soil compaction. Yerba mate is cultivated associated with native forest, however, the areas used for the expansion of cultivation present degraded soils, such as compacted grasslands, without any tillage to improve crop establishment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soil compaction on the growth of yerba mate seedlings and clonal plants. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in pots, between November 2022 and July 2023. Seminal seedlings and clonal (genotype BRS BLD Yari) plants were planted in the upper layer of the pots, without soil compaction. Meanwhile, treatments were applied to the lower layers of the pots, based on the maximum bulk density obtained by the Proctor Test. The treatments were high, medium and no compaction. Plant and soil attributes were evaluated, during the growth period. The behavior of the seminal and the Yari clonal plants was distinct. The shoot Yari clonal plants were more affected by the increase in soil compaction. However, the roots of both the Yari clonal and the seminal plants presented a strong reduction in density and percentage under compacted conditions. Soil compaction provoked greater effects on the Yari clonal than the seminal plants during the study period, which must be considered during the implementation of a new Yerba mate plantation.</p>