Not exactly. Podcasts were openly available as downloadable, RSS-friendly MP3 files for a long time. Apple required iOS apps to be distributed through the app store. Before that, there were no iOS apps to speak of.
Web pages are the iOS equivalent to open podcasts. iOS didn't stop those from working, although it did limit support for PWAs, which arrived years after the App Store. Even then, I can use apps like Uber without the App Store: m.uber.com.
Not all companies will try to create a web experience that's 1:1 with the mobile app, but it's not something iOS prevents.
Web pages are the iOS equivalent to open podcasts. iOS didn't stop those from working, although it did limit support for PWAs, which arrived years after the App Store. Even then, I can use apps like Uber without the App Store: m.uber.com.
Not all companies will try to create a web experience that's 1:1 with the mobile app, but it's not something iOS prevents.