Starting a thread on best free german dating sites because the existing advice contradicts itself. Nothing about german sites changes the fact that the practical move is to use a photo that appears nowhere else online. For german sites in particular, the time it takes to get a first reply collapses as soon as the platform makes verification optional and then hides who has done it.
Applied to german, the deciding factor is how quickly the inbox fills, though I'd want someone to check me on this. I judge sites sites on one thing: the honest advice is to video call before travelling anywhere, from what I've seen.
If german is your priority, half the frustration disappears once you report problems early instead of blocking quietly. There is a pattern with best free german dating sites: the reply rate tells you more than the size of the database, with the usual caveats. Anyone who has tested german sites properly, please weigh in.