Vinyl is a petroleum based product...essentially, another form of plastic. Linoleum is made-up of all or mostly natural materials. I'm not sure of the exact combination, but linseed oil is present in <lin>oleum and this is where the name comes from. The backing varies some by manufacturer, but linoleum usually has a woven backing, much like the jute back found on old carpets. As far as quality is concerned, there are different grades available in both products, and while one or the other might be better suited to certain applications, for most spaces, they can be used interchangeably.