You can download an eval copy, and poke at it.
https://www.ni.com/en-us/shop/electronic-test-instrumentation/application-software-for-electronic-te...
I never really got much use out of vision builder, but that's because I had the full vision development suite at my disposal. As a result, I can't tell you much about data sorting, but it's communication to PLC was pretty robust.
This becomes a discussion of trouble vs cost. A standard vision runtime license is $590 (Rats, I should have bought a few when they were $450). That's if you develop in the standard LabVIEW environment. If you are deploying a lot of inspections, it's cheaper than deploying a lot of Vision Builder licenses. For that matter, if you are really into pulling your hair out, you can run multiple inspections with multiple cameras with a single program using a single runtime license.
How complex is your inspection? Keep in mind that, while software is important, lighting and the optics are also critical.
If you can hold off until mid-October to act, the Boston Vision Show will be a great place to talk to vendors (traditionally including NI).
The Vision Show
Full disclosure: I teach a course in the certified vision professional track, but the trade show is free, and if you are new to vision, will be very educational. Bring some sample parts or images and shop all the booths. As a side note, I usually hold a "learn from my fail" meetup during the event (I buy the first round and we tell stories about failed jobs, and bad bosses / customers).
Looking forward to what you decide.
