We construct and analyze nonsupersymmetric SO(10) standard model extensions which explain dark matter (DM) through the fermionic Higgs portal. In these SO(10)-based models the DM particle is naturally stable since a $Z_2$ discrete symmetry, the matter parity, is left at the end of the symmetry breaking chain to the standard model. Potentially realistic models contain the $\bf{10}$ and $\bf{45}$ fermionic representations from which a neutralino-like mass matrix with arbitrary mixings can be obtained. Two different SO(10) breaking chains will be analyzed in light of gauge coupling unification: the standard path $\text{SU}(5)\times U(1)_{X}$ and the left-right symmetry intermediate chain. The former opens the possibility of a split supersymmetric-like spectrum with an additional (inert) scalar doublet, while the later requires additional exotic scalar representations associated to the breaking of the left-right symmetry.