In this answer I'm using Magento 2.1.7, so this answer could be modified later.
I have tried first with the layout solution using xml but without success.
I managed to remove the pager from the toolbar in category page by overriding the following file:
vendor/magento/module-catalog/view/frontend/templates/product/list/toolbar.phtml
To do so, inside your Theme folder add the following folder architecture:
Magento_Catalog/templates/product/list
Then copy/past the toolbar.phtml into it, you can remove the pager by commenting line number: 31 like the following:
<?php
/**
* Copyright © 2013-2017 Magento, Inc. All rights reserved.
* See COPYING.txt for license details.
*/
// @codingStandardsIgnoreFile
?>
<?php
/**
* Product list toolbar
*
* @var $block \Magento\Catalog\Block\Product\ProductList\Toolbar
*/
use Magento\Catalog\Model\Product\ProductList\Toolbar;
?>
<?php if ($block->getCollection()->getSize()): ?>
<div class="toolbar toolbar-products" data-mage-init='<?php /* @escapeNotVerified */ echo $block->getWidgetOptionsJson(); ?>'>
<?php if ($block->isExpanded()): ?>
<?php include ($block->getTemplateFile('Magento_Catalog::product/list/toolbar/viewmode.phtml')) ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php include ($block->getTemplateFile('Magento_Catalog::product/list/toolbar/amount.phtml')) ?>
<?php echo $block->getPagerHtml() ?>
<?php include ($block->getTemplateFile('Magento_Catalog::product/list/toolbar/limiter.phtml')) ?>
<?php if ($block->isExpanded()): ?>
<?php // include ($block->getTemplateFile('Magento_Catalog::product/list/toolbar/sorter.phtml')) ?>
<?php endif; ?>
</div>
<?php endif ?>
As you can see there is a comment in this line:
<?php // include ($block->getTemplateFile('Magento_Catalog::product/list/toolbar/sorter.phtml')) ?>
After removing the cache I have now the pager removed in category page.
