I'm a developer myself and use Apple both professionally and personally. I hear the walled garden excuse frequently from those who choose not to use Apple products, but honestly I don't run into limitations often on macOS. I have to ask - what is it that you're trying to do that makes you feel as though macOS is a walled garden? Short of really serious kernel extensions, I don't find myself pressing up against a walled garden on macOS.
That being said, iOS is absolutely a walled garden, though I rarely find myself in need of something that it doesn't accommodate anymore (with the exception of WebXR, which isn't exactly popular yet). But Microsoft doesn't have its own mobile OS anymore, so not sure this is analogous.
That being said, iOS is absolutely a walled garden, though I rarely find myself in need of something that it doesn't accommodate anymore (with the exception of WebXR, which isn't exactly popular yet). But Microsoft doesn't have its own mobile OS anymore, so not sure this is analogous.