When building or selecting a proxy pool, your first decision is whether to create a custom pool or use a managed service. Building your own allows full control over logic, IP rotation, and integration—but requires coding experience and ongoing maintenance. In contrast, managed solutions or APIs from providers like Gsocks offer instant access to preconfigured proxy pools with reliable uptime, automatic rotation, and global IP coverage. Look for features such as protocol support (SOCKS5 or HTTPS), IP freshness, speed consistency, and clear usage metrics. A reliable provider should also allow flexible scaling based on your workload and offer customer support in case of failures or connection issues. Whether you're running a small test or a full-scale operation, the right proxy pool solution will significantly improve your system's efficiency and success rate.