Characters, coupled with the relationships and dynamics between them, are the crux of all fantastic sitcoms out there and the most significant reason for how memorable the sitcom is. Friends and How I Met Your Mother are no different, and both share similarities, with two groups of mixed genders, and a trio of best guy friends.
Ross, Chandler, and Joey, and Ted, Marshall, and Barney have a lot of similarities as a trio. But they also a lot of differences and while they are both groups of best friends, each does things to be better friends than the other.
Ted, Marshall, & Barney Have Traditions
Ross, Chandler, and Joey do things regularly, but not necessarily traditions. Ted, Marshall, and Barney, however, do happen to have a couple.
For one, they watch Star Wars together every three years, and they also have Robots Vs. Wrestlers, which they may miss sometimes, but is still a tradition.
Ross, Chandler, & Joey Have Known Each Other Longer
Ross and Chandler and Ted and Marshall both met in college; it is the time difference between Barney and Joey meeting their groups that makes the difference.
Ted met Barney when Barney was 25, since "The One With The Flashback" takes place a year before the premiere, Joey was 24, a technicality yes, but considering Barney had to basically force his way into Ted and Marshall's life, it works.
Ted, Marshall, & Barney Are There For The Big Moments
We do not know what happens after the finale of Friends other than that Joey leaves for Los Angeles. We do not know how often the gang sees each other if ever, Ross and Rachel likely see Monica and Chandler, but as for Phoebe and Joey, who knows.
What we know from How I Met Your Mother's finale is that the gang may not see each other constantly, but they are always there for the big stuff, that includes Ted, Marshall, and Barney.
Ross, Chandler, & Joey Share Hobbies
It was mentioned earlier that Ted, Marshall, and Barney share traditions, but what they do not share, is hobbies.
They are, in fact, very judgemental of what each of them loves to do. Ross, Chandler, and Joey, however, often go to sports games, go to movies, even watch TV with pizza, and in the early seasons play sports together.
Ted, Marshall, & Barney Wanted To Work Together
Joey gets a chance to work with both Ross and Chandler, and neither really works out well, and in an alternate timeline, Chandler works for Joey, and that does not work either.
When the opportunity presents itself for Ted, Marshall, and Barney to work together at GNB, despite the questionable morales, they are excited to work with each other, and it is the highlight of the job for Marshall.
Ross, Chandler, & Joey Are Not Always Together Drinking
The gang from How I Met Your Mother spend most of their time at MaClarens drinking. When the trio of guys hangout, it is mostly drinking.
The trio of guys from Friends however, while they do share beers at home often, they do not only have fun drinking. They spend time doing things, hanging at each other's apartments, and, of course, chilling at the coffee shop.
Ted, Marshall, & Barney Hang Out More As A Trio
Ultimately, the guys in Friends are seen hanging out, just the three of them, not a massive amount. Yes, they are together a lot, but most of the time, it is with other people, or it is just two of them.
While Ted, Marshall, and Barney do hang out in the bigger group, we often see the three of them at their apartments and, more often so, the bar.
Ross, Chandler, & Joey Are More Supportive
Ted, Marshall, and Barney are all very insulting of what the other wants, and in terms of each other's careers and romance are unsupportive. Especially towards Marshall, whom Ted and Barney both hold back at law school and in career.
The trio from Friends, however, despite Ross' occasional attitude, are supportive of each other in romance constantly, and in career likewise, especially Chandler with Joey.
Ted, Marshall, & Barney Are Closer As A Trio
When you look at the separate possible pairings, the trio from How I Met Your Mother is much closer as a three.
Chandler and Joey, and Chandler and Ross, are amazingly close, but Ross and Joey do not really click as much despite being friends, especially near the end of the show. Each pairing from How I Met Your Mother gets on, and hang out one on one, and all get on great, despite Marshall and Ted being the closest.
Ross, Chandler, & Joey Do Not Single Each Other Out As Better Friends
Speaking of, Ted constantly likes to remind Barney that he prefers Marshall. It is pretty sucky and uncalled for most of the time, as Barney clearly knows.
This is not an issue with Joey, Chandler, and Ross, even though Joey does let it slip that he prefers Chandler when he and Chandler fall out, and he says Ross can now be his best friend. The three do not bring up who is closer nearly as much as Ted, and ultimately that makes them better friends.