All else equal, getting the final image with the lens is better than doing so in software. Correcting converging verticals in software means you cannot use 100% of the sensor to create the final image; you are always doing some cropping. With a lens that allows movements, you can accomplish the same objective and still use 100% of the sensor; no cropping is necessary. In the same vein, correcting CA and other lens flaws will only get you maybe 80-90% of the way to what you could have with a perfect lens. It's like noise reduction; the software tools do a great job removing noise without artifacting, but you're still better off using ISO 100 instead of ISO 1600 if ISO 100 gives you a fast enough shutter speed to get the job done.
Don't get me wrong, software tools like Focus Magic, Neat Image and Photoshop's Lens Correction filter are extremely useful, but there are limits to how much software processing can improve images. You're always better off improving the raw digital capture by improving sensor or lens quality/flexibility rather than trusting software enhancement alone. Otherwise everyone could buy the consumer-grade coke bottles and software, and get results just as good as someone using L glass.
