It's different. Clear coat is applied to painted surfaces (ie, cars), to increase the gloss and add UV stability. It is, as the name implies, clear. Gel coat, on the other hand, is an opaque, colored top coat applied to
fiberglass. It is intended to give a smooth, uniform surface to the blotchy, ugly
fiberglass. It is relatively soft, and scratches pretty easily, so use cleaners with care. GelGloss is an excellent fiberglass cleaner/polish, specifically designed for gel coat.
Some waxes with polish additives can cause clear coat to turn foggy, so also read the label before waxing your car.
Corvettes come from the factory with both, I believe. The fiberglass is gel-coated to give a smooth, uniform surface. Then it is painted to give a hard, colored surface. Then it is clear-coated to give that wonderful shine. Campers and boats are just given a colored (or white) gel-coat and that's it.