Best Friend Tattoos: 10 Cute Matching Ideas You Will Both Love
Best friend tattoos are a permanent way to say: you are my person. Whether you have been friends since kindergarten or met in a college dorm, a matching tattoo turns your friendship into art you both carry every day. The best designs are small, meaningful and a little bit fun. If you are planning ink with a partner instead, browse our couple tattoos.
Below are 10 best friend tattoo ideas, each shown as a realistic design mockup on the wrist, ankle, fingers or forearm, plus tips on choosing a design you will both love for decades, where to place them and what to know before you book your appointment together.
Table of Contents
What Makes a Great Best Friend Tattoo?
- It means something to both of you: an inside joke, a shared memory or a symbol of your personalities.
- It still works if life changes: pick something that celebrates your friendship, not a single moment that could fade.
- It is simple: small, clean designs age well and look good on two different bodies and skin tones.
- It can be matching or complementary: identical tattoos are classic, but two halves that fit together are just as popular.
For couples and family designs, see our matching tattoo ideas and family tattoo ideas.
10 Best Friend Tattoo Ideas
Each idea below is shown on the body part where it looks best, so you can picture it on both of you before you talk to your artist.
1. Puzzle Pieces That Fit Together
Two puzzle pieces that only fit each other say you complete each other. Add a tiny heart, an initial or your birthstone colors to make each piece yours. It looks great on the wrist or ankle. Shown here on the inner ankles: stand side by side and the two pieces lock together.
2. Sun and Moon
One friend is the sunshine, the other is the calm night. Sun and moon best friend tattoos celebrate two different personalities that balance each other perfectly. Shown here on the inner wrists, a spot that is easy to line up for photos.
3. Pinky Promise
Hooking little fingers is the ultimate symbol of a promise between friends, and a matching tiny tattoo shows up every time you make one. Shown here as a tiny heart on the side of each little finger.
4. Salt and Pepper Shakers
A playful classic for friends who are always together and better as a pair. It is fun, lighthearted and instantly recognizable. Shown here on the inner wrists, one shaker for each friend.
5. Two Halves of a Heart
Each friend wears one half of a split heart, and together they make it whole. Keep the edges simple so the halves still look good on their own. Shown here on the little fingers, so the heart joins when you hold hands.
6. Paper Planes
Perfect for best friends who live far apart. Two paper planes flying in opposite directions say you are always connected, no matter the distance. Shown here on the wrists, with the planes flying in opposite directions.
7. Cheers Glasses
For the friends who celebrate everything together. Two glasses clinking is a fun reminder of all the good times and the ones still to come. Shown here on the inner wrists, with the glasses meeting in the middle.
8. Matching Birth Flowers
Draw each friend's birth flower in the same fine line style. The tattoos are different but clearly belong together. Read our flower tattoos for women for flower meanings. Shown here as a daisy and a rose on the inner wrists.
9. Infinity With Hearts
An infinity loop with a small heart says your friendship has no end. It is simple, elegant and works on the wrist, finger or behind the ear. Shown here on the wrists.
10. Zodiac Constellations
Each friend gets her own zodiac constellation in the same delicate style, a beautiful way to show you are different but connected under the same sky. Shown here on the inner forearms, where the stars have room to spread out.
Other Popular Best Friend Tattoo Ideas
- Matching small symbols like stars, hearts, arrows or lightning bolts.
- Two halves of a butterfly, or two butterflies flying together. See our small butterfly tattoo ideas.
- A shared date in Roman numerals for the day you met.
- Lock and key, or two halves of a moon.
- The coordinates of the place you met, written in small clean lettering.
- Characters from a show or movie you love, drawn in your own simple style.
Best Placements for Best Friend Tattoos
Most best friend tattoos are small, so the classic spots are the inner wrist, the ankle, behind the ear, the side of a finger and the collarbone. Placing them in the same spot on both of you makes the connection obvious in photos. You can also mirror them, one on the left wrist and one on the right, so the designs face each other when you hold hands. Read our tattoo placement guide and small tattoo ideas for more.
Tips Before You Get Best Friend Tattoos
- Give yourselves time. Choose the design together and wait a few weeks to make sure you both still love it.
- Agree on size and placement, but let each person adjust to their own body.
- Find an artist you both trust, and book back to back appointments so you can support each other.
- Talk about budget. Most small matching tattoos cost $80 to $200 each in the US, mainly because of shop minimums. See our tattoo cost guide.
- Plan aftercare together. Follow our tattoo aftercare steps and remind each other to moisturize.
Before your appointment, it is worth reading the US Food and Drug Administration page on tattoo safety.
Best Friend Tattoos for Three or More Friends
Matching tattoos are not just for pairs. Friend groups of three, four or more can choose designs that work as a set:
- Three moon phases: waxing, full and waning moon, one for each friend.
- A bouquet split into stems: each friend gets one flower, and together they form the bouquet.
- Stars of different sizes: simple, flexible and easy to add to if the group grows.
- Elements: earth, water, fire and air symbols for a group of four.
- Puzzle chain: pieces that connect in a row, one per person.
With bigger groups, keep the designs very simple and agree on one artist so the line weight and style stay consistent across everyone.
What If the Friendship Changes?
It is worth asking this honestly before you book. Most best friend tattoos stay meaningful for life, but people grow and move. The safest designs celebrate something that will always be true, like a shared memory, a city, a song or a symbol of your personalities, rather than a promise that depends on staying in touch every day.
Designs that also make sense on their own, such as a sun, a moon, a flower or a paper plane, are a smart choice. If life ever takes you in different directions, the tattoo still looks like a beautiful piece of art and a reminder of an important chapter. And if you are still best friends at 80, you will have the best story at the retirement home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good best friend tattoos?
Puzzle pieces, sun and moon, two halves of a heart, pinky promises, paper planes and matching birth flowers are some of the most popular best friend tattoos.
Should best friend tattoos be identical?
Not necessarily. Many friends choose complementary designs, like a sun and moon or two halves of a heart, so each tattoo is unique but they still belong together.
Where should we put best friend tattoos?
The inner wrist, ankle, behind the ear and finger are the most popular spots because they are small, easy to show and easy to photograph side by side.
How much do best friend tattoos cost?
In the US, small matching tattoos usually cost about $80 to $200 each. Some shops offer a small discount when two people book together.
Are the tattoos in these photos real?
No. The images are design mockups created for Tattoo Idea Book to show how each idea looks on the skin. Use them as inspiration and let your artist draw a custom version for both of you.
About These Images
The images on this page are digitally created design mockups, not photos of real clients or finished tattoos. They show how each best friend tattoo idea could look on the wrist, ankle, fingers or forearm. Use them as inspiration and let your artist adapt the designs for both of you. For more ideas, see our tattoo quotes and tattoo ideas for women.
