This was going to be a list of a few security applications that stand out from the rest. It was going to look at specific functions that make different applications stand out. But something happened along the way – security applications have gotten really good. They may not be so universally good that you can just pick an app at random and run with it, but they have gotten good enough that the difference between them is not so much an issue of quality as it is of functionality. In the end, the top security app depends more on you than it does on the application. The best security applications are going to vary heavily based on your needs.

That said, that does not mean that you can't make a mistake and choose the wrong app, and you can't make a final decision before you really know what you are getting in to. So instead of listing some of the best apps out there, here are the best ways to choose the right app for you:

Try It Out Yourself

Chances our your security vendor can help you choose a good app. If you just work with whichever apps come with your hardware you could probably get by. But if you want to get the most bang for your buck, try a few demo versions of security apps, play around with a few free apps and see what different solutions have to offer. This not only gives you key insight into what different solutions offer, it also helps you identify the features that matter to you. Be careful though, don't leave a trial app running when you really need the protection, download a few demos, put one of them on at a time, sneak around your property with the system running and go back inside to see what the apps let you do. After a while, you'll have everything you need to make the right decision.

Read Forums

A good forum can become your best friend when choosing an app. Company sites can help you get some core info, but they aren't going to do much more than make every feature sound like one of the best solutions in the universe. If you want to find out how different features work, go onto a good forum and chat with people. It can be surprising how willing regular people are to help one another online and you can often get expert advice on how various applications work for certain purposes. For example, you may find that you really like an app's interface after trying its demo version, but don't want to commit to purchasing it until you know how one important feature works. Hop onto a forum and you can generally find that kind of thing out. What's more, you're probably not the first person to have that question and you may be able to do a few Google searches and find the answer.

Know What You Want

Understanding what you want is one of the most important parts of finding success in just about anything. When you are trying to pick a security app you need to have a good idea of how you want it to perform. This may sound basic, but it can actually be difficult to predict how different features will play out during use. Create a clear list of things that are important and go through trial apps to see how they work. Once that's done, look at your list again. If it is still valid, you're ready to move forward based on trials. If it needs to be tweaked, you learned something important by testing apps and can choose the right solution.

When it comes to choosing the top security apps, the verdict is that the best solution is the one that fits your needs as closely as possible.