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Programs can have many windows open on other OSes too, all doing different things. They can also stay running after the last window has been closed.

The question is what the default behavior of applications is, and macOS is just plain inferior to other OSes in that regard.

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Trying to exit one of those windowless programs on Windows at least, can be rather hidden functionality, and may involve resorting to the task manager. On mac OS, by default it's in the dock if it's open, it's cycled through with command-tab, and once you bring it to the front, you have the menu bar as a uniform interface for interacting with windowless apps. I don't even use mac OS but on this aspect it does seem more consistent.

Menu Item apps (analogous to Windows task bar apps) usually aren’t in the Dock when they are running. You normally don’t quit then via the menu bar (File Edit).

Nor are launchagent processes.

So I’m not sure how you are trying to contrast macOS here.

>and macOS is just plain inferior to other OSes in that regard.

this just seems like a matter of taste

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