We live in a world that demands simplicity, streamlining and combining many of our favorite products like home security cameras (and some of our not-so-favorites, like smoke alarms) into single, seamless systems. 

SimpliSafe is a home security system that truly lives up to the “simple” part of its name, with a plug and play security solution unlike anything else on the market. But is it possible for a security system to be a little too simple, and run the risk of getting left behind the times?

The Live Watch Home Security system is just one of dozens of DIY protection networks that have burst onto the scene in the past several years, using an array of older sensors alongside new technologies like external IP cameras to give homeowners a cheaper solution to industry-standard alternatives like Bay or ADT.

FrontPoint Home Security is another in a seemingly endless lineup of upstart, startup out-of-nowhere DIY security companies that ships your entire security solution straight to your doorstep and lets you handle the setup process for a fraction of the cost of other more traditional options. But will its constant similarities to the competition keep it from shining out of the swamp?

The Piper nv Home Security system is another in a long line of IP cameras that are branching out their detection capabilities, including door sensors and smart outlets to bring attention to break ins as they happen, and using WiFi and your smartphone to notify you as soon as a burglary is in progress. But does this system do enough to evolve beyond the same Internet of Things technology pieces we’ve already seen, to qualify as a best home security system that’s strong enough to protect your home on its own without your neighbors getting involved in the process?

The Scout Alarm home security system is just one in a slew of new smartphone-centric personal security devices, manufactured by a rising category of companies designed to overtake an industry that has been dominated by giants like Bay and ADT for years. Using an array of do-it-yourself sensors, Scout aims to make your home safer for cheaper, all while giving you full control over how the system detects threats and alerts you about them in real time.

If you’ve got a large property that needs a lot of security with not a whole lot of cameras in the mix, you’re probably thinking about investing in wide-angle options like the D-Link DCS-8200LH.

With its 180° lens, this camera can easily cover twice the viewing landscape of some competing options, but is that one benefit alone enough to help us forget the many places where it falls flat on it face?

If you’ve been paying attention to the news over the past few years, you already know that with Google’s purchase of Nest and similar pickups by Cisco and Samsung, the smart home, and in this case smart home security, is the wave of the future for gadget makers everywhere.